


Nothing Like My Novels

by tracylay



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Awkwardness, Cumshots, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Knotting, Lemons, Mating, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Smut, Squirting, True Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-02-12 15:52:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 70
Words: 331,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2115807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tracylay/pseuds/tracylay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sindy Stilinski enjoys reading fantasy novels, intrigued by an unknown supernatural world that the human mind makes up. The night following a search for a dead body, she runs into Derek Hale. She discovers a world that what she once thought didn't exist to be very real, and very different than what she's read.</p><p>Derek Hale x Sindy Stilinski (OC)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Search

**Author's Note:**

> Just decided to share it on this website, along with Fanfiction.net. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that this is rated "E" for Explicit, but it won't get to that for a while. It starts off as rated "T" but it will grow to its "E" rating it deserves.

**SUNDAY  
** **JANUARY 9, 2011**

_Creek._

I glanced up from my reading, looking around my bedroom.

_Creeeek._

There it was again.

I placed my book down on the nightstand and climbed out of my bed. My legs immediately hit the cold air and I felt the goosebumps build up my skin.

I grabbed my brother’s lacrosse stick, which I had just finished restringing for him about a half hour ago. I cautiously stepped outside of my room, armed and ready.

_Creeeeeek._

I heard it right behind me and spun around quickly, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. I swung my weapon at my assailant, and felt it make contact.

“ ** _ARGH!_** ” I heard an all-too familiar voice call out in pain. I heard a dull _thump_ as the body slumped to the ground and my eyes snapped open.

“ _Stiles_!” I scolded. “What the _hell_ did you think you were _doing_?!”

“I should be asking _you_ that!” Stiles snapped back at me, holding his cheek. “Why the _hell_ did you hit me?!”

“You were creeping up behind me!” I retorted.

“I was just going to get you!” my wonderful twin brother cried.

“Well, do that by _calling my name_! I thought it was some robber or murderer or something!”

“Okay, maybe I _should’ve_ done that, but who’d actually sneak into the _Sheriff’s_ house?!”

I huffed angrily. He had a point. But still, he shouldn’t have tried to act all stealthy. It was something Stiles wasn’t. I stalked away, heading into the kitchen.

I opened the door to the fridge and pulled out a bag of frozen peas just as I heard the heavy thumps of my brother walking down the stairs. I handed him the bag and he mumbled his thanks, placing it on his bruising cheek.

“Sorry,” I said, seeing him wince slightly when the cold plastic made contact with his skin.

“S’okay,” Stiles replied, taking a seat at the island. “You’re right. I should’ve just called your name.”

“What’s up?” I asked, leaning over the island, looking at him. “It’s ten o’clock at night.”

“Dad got called out,” Stiles informed me, his brown eyes glinting in mischief. “Two joggers found a dead body, but here’s the catch: They only found half.”I pushed myself off the counter. “No way,” I gaped.

“Yes, way,” Stiles nodded. “And we’re gonna go look for it. Get changed. I’m gonna call Scott.” I eagerly nodded my head and all but sprinted up the stairs. I slammed my door shut quickly before changing into something suitable to be in the woods in.

As I walked down the stairs, I popped my head through the hole in my sweater and finished putting the rest of it on.

Stiles was frowning at his phone and said, “Scott’s not answering.”

“We’ll just head to his house, then,” I replied. My brother nodded in agreement before we left our house in his baby blue powder jeep.

Since he was busy cradling his swollen cheek, I was in charge of driving. He tried called Scott a couple more times as well, but the boy just wouldn’t answer his phone.

I pulled up in the McCall driveway fifteen minutes later and watched as my brother got out. Instead of taking the front door, however, he chose to simply scale up the house.

I sighed mentally, climbing out of the car. This was only going to get him hurt.

I spotted Scott exiting his house just a few seconds after Stiles had climbed up, and was about to get the attention of both of them. Stiles lost his footing, and Scott almost whacked him with a baseball bat.

Scott let out a scream, which made Stiles scream, which made Scott cry out, and then my brother let out a not-so-manly scream.

I face-palmed myself.

“Stiles, what the  _hell are you doing_ ?!” Scott snapped.

“You weren’t answering your phone!” Stiles cried out. He looked at the weapon in Scott’s hands. “Why do you have a bat?!”

“I thought you were a predator!” Scott retorted.

Stiles sputtered in disbelief before trying to explain himself. “Look, I know it’s late, but you gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called, they’re bringing everybody, and I mean  _everybody_ , even the state police.”

“For what? And what the hell happened to your face?”

“Blame Sindy over there,” Stiles jutted his thumb towards my general direction. It was then Scott noticed my presence. I waved at him before walking over to the two boys.

“Anyway,” Stiles said, flipping off from where he was stuck, “two joggers found a body in the woods.”

“A dead body?” Scott asked, leaning over the railing to look at us.

“No, a body of water,” Stiles corrected dryly. “Yes, dumbass, a dead body.” He climbed over the railing like a monkey, whereas I chose to be human and climb up the steps of the McCall deck.

I stood there, my arms crossed as I listened to my brother explain to his best friend what I already knew.

“So, where are we going?” Scott asked, after he was completely filled in.

“Beacon Hills Preserve,” I said for the first time since joining Scott. “It’s where they found the first half of the body, so the second half shouldn’t be too far.”

I got into the driver’s side before placing the key into the ignition.

“So, how’d you hit Stiles?” Scott asked as I drove down the dark road to the preserve. Stiles had placed the now-just-cold bag of peas to his not-really-swollen cheek again and I turned down the road.

“With his lacrosse stick,” I replied simply. “I restrung it about an hour ago, and it was still in my room.”

“Dude, seriously?” Scott turned to his best friend. “Did you sneak up on her or something?”

“Or something,” Stiles grumbled. “Who in their right mind would sneak into  _our_ house anyway? That’s just like, an invitation to get arrested.”

I shrugged in response and just kept my eyes on the road.

About ten minutes later, I pulled up to the Beacon Hills Preserve and climbed out of the jeep, along with the guys.

“Are we seriously doing this?” Scott asked, looking at us.

“Yup,” Stiles and I replied at the same time.

“You’re the one that’s always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town,” Stiles added, turning on his flashlight.

“I was just trying to get a good night’s sleep before practice tomorrow,” Scott responded.

“ _Right_ ,” Stiles rolled his eyes. “‘Cause sitting on the bench takes  _so much_ effort.”

“No, because I’m playing this year,” Scott declared. “In fact, I’m gonna make first line.”

"That’s the spirit,” I smiled, patting Scott on the arm, since I was too short to reach his shoulder. Scott smiled at me thankfully.

“Yeah,” my brother agreed. “Everyone should have a dream, no matter how pathetically unrealistic.”

“Just out of curiosity, Stiles, which half are we looking for?” I inquired. I blew into my hands before rubbing them. It was unbelievably cold outside tonight.

“Huh,” Stiles stopped for a second before resuming. “I didn’t even think about that!”

“And what if whatever killed the body is still out here?” Scott piped in.

“Also something I didn’t think about,” Stiles replied, shrugging.

“That’s really comforting to know,” I commented, grunting a big as I climbed up a rather steep hill. I heard Scott run out of breath and turned around, watching as he leaned up against a tree and use his inhaler. “You alright, there, Scotty?”

“Yeah,” he wheezed, before breathing in. When we reached the top, all of us dropped onto our stomachs.

Flashlights shone up ahead and I mentally groaned. I should’ve stayed at home. Even though Stiles was the older one, I was usually in charge because I was the more responsible one. Dad was gonna have my  _head_ .

“C’mon!” Stiles exclaimed suddenly, jumping up.

I jumped up, following my brother to make sure he didn’t get us into  _too_ much trouble. Suddenly, a dog jumped out and I groaned in pain when Stiles fell right on top of me.

“Hang on, hang on,” I heard my Dad’s voice say. “These little delinquents belong to me.”

“Get off of me,” I groaned, shoving my brother off of me.

He stood up quickly before saying, “Dad, how’re you doing?”

My dad looked at me pointedly. “You’re supposed to keep him out of trouble.”

“That’s impossible,” I pointed out bluntly. “I just try to keep him out of  _too much_ trouble.”

He seemed to agree with my point because he sighed heavily before turning to Stiles, “So, do you listen to all my phone calls?”

“How do you know it was me and not Sindy?” Stiles retorted. My dad looked at him pointedly. “Okay, okay. But, to answer your question: no. At least, not the boring ones.”

“Now where’s the other usual partner in crime?” Dad looked around, most likely for Scott. Boy, I sure hope he stayed hidden.

“Who, Scott? Scott’s home, isn’t he, Sindy?” Stiles looked down at me. I nodded my head. “He said he wanted to get a good night sleep for the first day back at school tomorrow. It’s just me, in the woods… alone… with Sindy.”

Dad shined his flashlight behind me. “Scott, you out there?!” he called out. “Scott?!” When there was no reply, he sighed. “Well, I’m gonna walk you two back to whichever car you guys came from. And you, young man, you and I are going to have a conversation on something called  _invasion of privacy_ . Let’s go, Sindy.”

He gripped the back of Stiles’s neck tightly, but not enough to hurt him (obviously).

As we trekked through the woods, I felt chills up my spine, almost like someone was watching me. I turned my head while my father lectured Stiles. My eyes came into contact with electric blue ones, and I internally held in a gasp. I blinked, and suddenly, they were gone.

I shook my head. It must’ve been that I was getting tired.

I jogged a bit to catch up to the two males in my family, as I had fallen behind by a couple of steps. Dad led us to where Stiles’s jeep was parked and it was then he realized something. “What happened to your face, Stiles?”

“Oh, that was my fault,” I said, raising my hand, even though he couldn’t see. “Stiles scared me so I kind of whacked him with his lacrosse stick.”

Dad looked at Stiles with an arched brow.

“What?!” Stiles exclaimed. “Why is everything automatically my fault?!”

“Actually, I was just wondering why you’d sneak up on your sister,” Dad responded. “You know she took self-defense classes.”

“Don’t I know it,” Stiles mumbled, unconsciously rubbing his cheek.

We arrived in front of my brother’s jeep and my dad looked sternly at us. “I want you two back at home,  _in bed_ . It’s almost midnight and you start school tomorrow. Bed as soon as you get home, understood?”

“Understood,” my brother and I echoed.

I pulled out Stiles’s keys from my pocket before climbing into the driver’s side of the jeep. Stiles closed the passenger door as he slid in and I started the engine.

When I took off, it didn’t take long for Stiles to continue talking again.

“I wonder if Scott got back okay,” Stiles said wearily. He pulled out his phone and began to text his friend.

There was no response for a few minutes, and I felt the jeep move as Stiles shifted uncomfortably.

“Stiles,” I said warningly.

“Sorry,” Stiles replied. “Seriously, though, Sindy, aren’t you worried about Scott?”

I frowned, furrowing my eyebrows together. Those bright blue eyes I saw were in the forest. I wasn’t sure if those were a figment of my imagination or they were true, but that aside, it was the woods at night time and there was a possible  _murderer_ on the loose.

“Of course,” I said eventually. “But there’s nothing we can do now.”

Just then, Stiles’s phone chimed from a new text message. Stiles let out a strong sigh of relief. “Scott got out okay. He got bit by something and almost got hit by a car, but he’s okay.”

“Seems like he just got out of two near-death accidents, and you just say he’s  _okay_ ?” I questioned bluntly. “You’re not worried he might be traumatized?”

“He hangs out with you, doesn’t he?” I released my right hand from the steering wheel and whacked him upside the head. “ _Ow_ ! Haven’t you done  _enough_ damage to me for one night?”

“Technically, it’s a new day,” I pointed out, gesturing to the dashboard clock, which signified that it was twelve-oh-one. “So, no.”

Stiles grumbled in his seat and proceeded to text Scott back. I rolled my eyes at his drama-queen persona before turning my complete attention to the road.

**MONDAY  
** **JANUARY 10, 2011**

I slid my sapphire blue Hyundai Genesis into the parking space beside Stiles’s jeep before cutting the engine.

As I climbed out of my car, I spotted Jackson sneering down at Scott before walking away.

I frowned. Jackson Whittemore was the epitome of a rich kid who had everything but wanted more. I watched him stride into school, but, as if he felt my gaze, he turned to look at me, his blue eyes meeting my own brown ones.

We joined Scott, who had met us halfway. Stiles stuffed his hands in his pocket before saying, “Okay, let’s see this thing.”

Scott looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to us.  _Pft_ . Who would? We were basically nobodies in this school. He lifted up his shirt to reveal a large gauze, and I could see the blood seep through the center of it in a curve-like fashion.  _Yeesh_ , that was bad.

My brows scrunched together as my face contorted into a rather… _ugh_ face. Stiles reached to touch it, but I slapped his hands away. “Ow!” he exclaimed. “Stop abusing me!”

“Don’t  _touch_ it!” I replied. I turned back to Scott and asked, “Do you know what caused it?”

Scott let his shirt fall back down and then he frowned, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. “It was too dark to see much, but I’m pretty sure it was a wolf.”

Scott’s eyebrows shot up. “A  _wolf_ bit you?” he asked incredulously as the three of us trekked into the school building. “No. Not a chance.”

“I heard a wolf howling,” Scott responded.

“No, you didn’t,” Stiles countered.

Scott scoffed. “What do you mean I didn’t? You weren’t there.”

“Scott,” I began, “California doesn’t have wolves. There haven’t been any for over sixty years.”

Scott stopped in his steps and I almost crashed into him. “Really?”

“Yes,  _really_ !” Stiles said, turning around to look at his best friend. He looked at Scott with a  _duh_ face. I adjusted the backpack I had over my shoulders before mentally sighing.  _Boys_ .

“Well, if you’re not gonna believe me about the wolves, then you’re definitely not gonna believe me when I say that I’ve found the dead body,” Scott looked at the two of us, the corner of his lips curling in amusement.

Stiles sputtered unintelligibly for a couple seconds before saying, “Wait! Are you kidding me?” I must say, even if I wasn’t into mysteries as much as my brother was, my interest was indeed piqued.

“I wish,” Scott shrugged. “Now I’m gonna have nightmares for a month.”

“That’s… pretty awesome,” I nodded slowly. “That’s like, the best thing that’s happened since like… like…” I trailed off, not knowing what  _was_ the best thing.

“Since the birth of Lydia Martin…” Stiles sighed dreamily. Just then, the strawberry blonde walked past him and he said suavely, “Hey, Lydia. You look… like you’re gonna ignore me.” My brother had never resembled more like a puppy than any other time except when he “spoke to” Lydia Martin. And I say “spoke to” as in “he talks to her but she always ignores him” kind of way.

I briefly heard Stiles blaming Scott for their “nerd status” just as the bell rang.

“We’re nerds by association,” Stiles said, throwing his arm around my shoulders casually. “We’re scarlet nerded by you.”

“Did you just make a  _Scarlet Letter_ reference?” I inquired in disbelief, looking up at Stiles. “You hate that book.”

“I do, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t pick up a couple things from it,” Stiles shrugged. We trekked off to our first class, which was English.

Thankfully, the seats weren’t assigned, so we were able to choose our seats without any protests. I took a seat next to the window, the third seat from the back. Stiles took a seat behind me while Scott sat to my right.

Once the final bell rang, the teacher stood up and began to write  _Kafka’s Metamorphosis_ on the board while casually mentioning the body that was found in the woods last night.

At that mentioning, I angled my head to look at my brother and best friend-through-association. Stiles gave us both a wink before I turned back to the front.

The teacher mentioned the syllabus that was on my desk and I mentally groaned, looking at all the requirements this class needed. It wasn’t that I was a  _bad_ student; I was actually on the Honor Roll. Stiles was completely wrong when he mentioned Scott was a nerd. A geek? Totally. But school wasn’t Scott’s strongest point… nor was anything else, for that matter.

My thoughts were interrupted when the door opened, and in stepped our vice principal, Mr. Green, and a pretty brunette.

She had ringlets around her face and her face was heart-shaped. Her skin complexion was a lot like mines: fair and almost delicate-looking.

“Class, this is our new student, Allison Argent. Please do your best to make her feel welcomed,” Mr. Green announced.

Something caught my attention, and I spotted Scott was completely enamored by the new girl’s presence. The corner of my lips curled in amusement and I angled my head slightly to look at Stiles.

_‘Hey,’_ I mouthed towards him.

_‘What?’_ he mouthed back.

_‘Look at Scott,’_ I gestured to our best friend with my pencil. Stiles did as I told him, and when he spotted Scott’s love-struck expression, he stifled a laugh.

The new girl, Allison, took a seat in the last open space: the one behind Scott. Suddenly, Scott whirled around, and held out his pen towards the girl.

I arched a brow and looked at my twin, hoping he’d have some answers. Much to my displeasure, he just shrugged, equally confused as I was.

I spotted the self-satisfied smile that flittered across Scott’s face before I opened my notebook, ready to take notes.

The rest of the class breezed by smoothly, and I soon found myself packing my books while Stiles waited for me. Scott had left already, but it wasn’t that big of a deal, considering Stiles’s locker was right next to Scott’s and mine was beside my brother’s.

Stiles and I joined Scott at our lockers, and I spotted Allison talking to Jackson and Lydia. I arched a brow. “Two seconds here and she’s already been graced with the presences of Jackson Whittemore and Lydia Martin.”

“She’s hot,” Stiles shrugged. “Beautiful people herd together.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Stiles.” I meant it in a joking way, of course. I definitely wasn’t the worst-looking girl around, but I definitely wasn’t on the same level as Lydia Martin and Allison Argent.

“Well, you’re my sister,” Stiles pointed out the obvious. “I’m like, obliged to insult and hurl harsh words that don’t really mean anything to you, especially since I’m your twin and all.”

“And that means I’m obliged to just hit you when you’re being stupid,” I replied, smacking his chest with the back of my hand.

“ _Ouch_ !” Stiles exclaimed, rubbing the spot I just hit. “You’d think Dad would do something about this abuse you direct towards me!”

I noticed a dazed look on Scott’s face and nudged my brother. “Scott?” I called.

“Yo!” Stiles said, but no response.

I snapped my fingers in front of Scott’s face, and that was when he snapped out of it. “What?” he inquired.

“Dude, you were like, a million miles away,” Stiles pointed out. “You get everything you need for bio?” When Scott nodded, I closed my locker and we proceeded to head to our biology class.

The rest of the day was, for the lack of a better word: boring. There wasn’t really anything interesting that went on. It was just a typical first day: syllabi, new seats, some assigned seating you either loved or you hated (mostly hated), and choosing seats you loved.

It wasn’t until lacrosse practice did things really get interesting.

I was sitting on the bottom bleachers, closest to the bench. The chances of Stiles and Scott being benched even during practice was pretty high. I love both the boys to death, but they just weren’t good at lacrosse.

“-gonna make first line,” Scott told Stiles as the two approached me.

“Hey,” Stiles greeted me with a nod. He tossed his backpack at my feet and Scott did the same after giving me a smile.

“I swear, this season, I’m gonna make first line,” Scott told me, after seeing my weary expression of his declaration to Stiles. “I love talking to you, Sindy, but I’m gonna make it.”

I nodded slowly, and was about to say something else, but saw that Scott had this faraway look on his face. I turned around, and immediately spotted what had caught his attention.

It was the new girl: Allison. She was with Lydia, and the two had placed themselves on one of the bleachers. There was no doubt that Lydia was here for Jackson and she just dragged Allison along for the hell of it.

“McCall!” I heard Coach Finstock say. He tossed Scott some goalie equipment while Stiles just took a seat on the bench in front of me.

“I sure hope Scott’s gonna be okay,” I frowned, watching him get geared up.

“He’ll be fine,” Stiles assured me.

Another coach suddenly blew his whistle, and I watched, confused, as Scott gripped his head like something was hurting him. Without warning, a player ran up and launched a ball straight towards Scott. It made contact with his face mask, causing him to fall back.

“Way to take it to the face, McCall!” I heard one of the players jeer.

“That’s not good,” I frowned, watching Scott get back up on his feet. “C’mon, Scotty!” I called encouragingly.

The next player ran up, but when he launched the ball, I watched as Scott moved up, catching the ball easily.

“Wh-th- Sindy!” Stiles whirled around so fast he almost fell. “Did you see that?! Scott caught the ball!”

And then, he did it again! And again! And  _again_ !

“Holy crap,” I commented, amazed. I noticed someone got out of their place in line, and frowned when I realized that it was Jackson. “This can’t be good…”

Jackson charged forward, with the ball ready. He swung, and the ball headed straight towards Scott. But then, Scott angled his body and caught it!

I jumped up from my seat in joy. “Yeah, Scott!” I cheered, clapping wildly. Stiles was making some strange sounds with his voice, as he was too in shock to even process words.

At the end of practice, Scott declared that we had to go find his inhaler, which he had lost in the reserve last night.

Once Stiles and Scott got out of the former’s car and me out of mine, we began the long search for Scott’s tiny inhaler.

“So, how’d you do that?” Stiles asked the million dollar question as we stepped through a small little ditch of water. I was glad I had worn my knee-high boots today, and I accepted the lending hands of both of my companions.

“I dunno,” Scott replied. “It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball. And that’s not the only weird thing. I can hear stuff I can’t be able to hear…  _smell things_ …”

“ _Smell_ things?” I inquired, cocking an eyebrow as I kept up with the two easily. I was on the cross country team with these two, and competed in meets regularly.

“Like what?” Stiles added.

“Like mint mojito gum in your pocket,” Scott said to Stiles. Then he turned to me, “And the stick of Starbursts in yours.”

I knew I had Starbursts in my jacket pocket, but Stiles looked completely confused. “I don’t even have mint mojito–” he started, digging into his pockets, but cut himself off when he extracted something.

We both looked at Scott, confused for a second, before the boy turned around to continue his trek through the forest.

“So… all of this started with the bite…” I said slowly, following after Scott.

“Wh-what if it’s like an infection?” Scott asked, completely scared. “Like my body’s flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock or something.”

“You know what?” Stiles said, “I think I’ve heard of this. It’s a specific kind of infection.” I looked at my brother curiously, stopping with them.

Scott looked at Stiles, a bit worried. “You serious?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded determinedly. “I think it’s called…  _lycanthropy_ .”

I almost face-palmed myself from that, but stopped from doing so, because Scott’s facial expression morphed into pure horror. “What’s that? Is that bad?”

“The worst,” I supplied, voice cracking from holding in my laughter. Scott took my voice as terror, and he looked completely worried.

“It’s only once a month, though,” Stiles said.

“Once a month?”

Stiles nodded. “On the night of the full moon.” He let out a small howl and Scott’s face dropped as he pushed my brother.

I let out a laugh and our best friend huffed, walking away. I exchanged looks with Stiles. We grinned at each other before lightly jogging after Scott.

“You said you heard a wolf howling,” Stiles defended us. Well, he mainly defended himself, but  _eh_ . Minor details.

“There could be something seriously wrong with me!” Scott cried.

“You could be a werewolf,” I joked, and Stiles laughed, imitating a growl. “Obviously, we’re kidding, Scott.”

“Well, if you see me in shop class trying to melt all the silver I could find, it’s because Friday’s a full moon,” Stiles piped in.

Scott stopped, making me pause in my walking as well. He looked around on the ground and said, “I could’ve sworn this is it. This is where I found the body… the deer came running… I dropped my inhaler here.”

“Maybe the killer moved the body,” Stiles suggested.

“Well, I sure hope he left my inhaler, the thing’s like eighty bucks,” Scott retorted.

I let out a laugh, but then winced when Stiles hit me. “Ow!” I exclaimed. I turned to my brother and hit his chest. “Don’t  _do_ that!”

To my surprise, he didn’t even complain. In fact, he was looking somewhere else. I turned around, trying to see what had caught his attention.

My eyes fell on a tall figure a few feet away from us. He was dressed in a black t-shirt, black jeans, and had a black leather jacket thrown over his ensemble. His short black hair was on his head neatly, and as he approached us, I saw his eyes were a pale green.

I couldn’t help but notice that he was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. He had an angular jaw, thick brows, and a little dent on his chin.

Scott stood up, and he took a step forward, making sure to cover me slightly.

“What are you doing here?” the handsome stranger demanded. He stopped a mere couple feet from us. “This is private property.” Up close, he looked even taller: probably around six feet.

“Uh, sorry, man, we didn’t know,” Stiles apologized, a bit nervous.

“Yeah, we were just looking for something…” Scott agreed. The man raised his brows at Scott, but the teenager just said, “But… um… forget it.”

The man pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to Scott, who caught it easily. When he opened his palm, I recognized it as his inhaler.

“We’re uh, really sorry,” I spoke up, taking a step forward. “We’ll leave right now.”

The man suddenly shifted his gaze, landing on me. I felt a shiver run down my spine at his intense gaze and my heart began to beat faster and faster. He held my gaze for another second before turning around, walking away from us.

“Dudes, that was Derek Hale,” Stiles said. The name didn’t ring a bell. “You remember him, right? He’s only a few years older than us.”

“Remember what?” Scott asked.

“His family? They all burned in a fire like ten years ago,” Stiles informed us.

My eyes trailed away from Stiles and I watched as Derek Hale’s retreating back get smaller and smaller before he disappeared from sight.

“What’s he doing back, then…?” I inquired.


	2. My Best Friend's A Werewolf

**FRIDAY  
** **JANUARY 14, 2011**

My phone chirped, causing me to glance down at it curiously. I had connected it with the current case my father was currently working on, and since the only people I ever texted (for the most part) were Stiles, Scott, and my dad, I knew it had to be an update.

When I read over what they had found, I shot up from my seat and all but attacked Stiles, who was exiting the locker room.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Stiles exclaimed as I pulled him away into a secluded location. “Where’s the fire?”

“The fiber analysis came in,” I reported. “They found animal hairs on the body.”

“So?” Stiles arched a brow at me. “It’s the woods. There are animals in the woods.”

“That’s not the strange thing,” I shook my head, making my hair fall over my shoulder. I brushed some of it back before elaborating, “The hair belonged to wolves.”

Stiles’s eyes widened and he grabbed my hand. He all but dragged me, and I had to run quickly to keep up with him.

“Scott!” he cried, picking up speed. He spotted our best friend and all but sprinted towards him. “Scott!” he yelled again, his voice cracking. If this was any other time, I’d be laughing, but this was serious. “Wait up!”

“Stiles, I’m playing the first elimination, man. Can it wait?” Scott replied, a bit impatient.

“Just hold on,” Stiles insisted. “Sindy’s phone is tapped into the databank involving the dead body case. The fiber analysis report came back from LA and they found animal hairs on the body from the woods.”

“Stiles, I gotta go,” Scott said, a bit distracted.

“Wait!” Stiles protested. “Scott, You’re not gonna believe what the animal was-!” But it was futile. Scott had already grabbed his helmet and was already jogging towards the field. “It was a wolf…” Stiles finished dejectedly.

Coach blew his whistle and I patted Stiles’s back. “I’m gonna go check out some books on lycanthropy,” I told him quietly. “Tell me how practice goes.”

Stiles nodded dully and I turned away, walking to the student parking lot. I unlocked my car and slid onto the smooth black leather easily. I closed the door and took a deep breath.

My best friend could be a werewolf.

Okay. I hope he doesn’t kill me.

I started the engine, and drove straight to the Beacon Hills Library. I hastily got out of my car, barely remembering to unlock it.

I jogged into the building and headed straight for the mythology section. I bent down to look at the werewolf section, which was at the very bottom.

I blinked, unsure of what to get.

There were a  _lot_ of books. That meant a  _lot_ of reading to get done. Thankfully, it was a Friday night, so Stiles and I could hit these books before hitting the ones for school.

I grabbed the most obvious one first:  _History of Lycanthropy_ . I grabbed a few more:

\- _The Book of Werewolves: The Classic Study of Lycanthropy  
_ \- _The Werewolf Handbook: An Essential Guide to Werewolves, and More Importantly, How to Avoid Them  
_ \- _Werewolves: A Field Guide to Shapeshifters, Lycanthropes, and Man-Beasts  
_ \- _A Lycanthropy Reader: Werewolves in Western Culture  
_ \- _The Book of Werewolves  
_ \- _The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings_    
and to cover all bases: _The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Werewolves_.

I stacked them all on top of each other and struggled to stand up. After some difficulty, I was able to, so I walked to the check-out line to brings these books home.

The guy behind the desk arched an eyebrow at me when he spotted all the books I had. He glanced at the first book before scanning it. “Taking an interest in werewolves?”

“Uh, yeah,” I nodded, ignoring the heavy feeling in my gut. “I was watching  _Underworld: Rise of the Lycans_ and I just loved the characters, especially the Lycans, and I just wanted to learn more about them.”

The man nodded, like he understood completely. “When  _Twilight_ first came out,  _so_ many girls were checking out books on vampires and werewolves. At least you picked a good series to allow you to want to read more about them.”

I gave a small smile at him before he handed me back the stack of books. “Thank you,” I said. He nodded, acknowledging me before I left the building.

After pushing the door open with my back and kicking it open, I headed straight to my car. As I was walking, I heard someone ask, “Need some help?”

I angled my head and spotted Derek Hale standing a couple feet away. He was looking at the pile of books in my arms with an unreadable expression.

“Oh, just for a few seconds?” I asked sheepishly. He nodded curtly and easily swiped  _all_ the books out of my hands. “I could take a couple…”

He shook his head and just followed me to my car. “Quite an interest you have here,” he commented nonchalantly.

“Oh, yeah,” I let out a small nervous laugh. “My brother checked out a few books on vampires a couple nights ago and now I’m checking out werewolves. We watched  _Underworld: Rise of the Lycans_ about a week ago and we wanted to learn more about them.”

“Hm…” Derek made a small noise to show that he heard me. I looked at him strangely, but he didn’t seem to do anything.

I unlocked my car, opening my trunk. Derek placed the books in the trunk before closing it. He and I stood there for a while before I said, “Uh… thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.”

Derek said nothing for a few seconds, before nodding his head. He then pivoted, and began to walk away, not acknowledging me again.

I shook my head at the interaction and climbed into the driver’s seat. Instead of heading back to school, I drove directly home, hoping to get a head start on the research I knew Stiles and I were going to be doing.

I stumbled into Stiles’s room, throwing the books haphazardly all over his bed. I sat down at the foot of it, and began to open the first page to the first book I grabbed and began reading.

I don’t know how long I was reading, but when I was about halfway through the first book, I heard Stiles come crashing through the front door. He slammed the door behind him and I heard his rapid footsteps hurry up the stairs before he threw his door open.

“That all there was?” Stiles asked, hopping into his chair and turning on his laptop.

“That looked credible,” I explained. Stiles nodded and when his laptop booted up, he opened up the internet and began to research.

The two of us were silent, which was something amazing. Even though I was the calmer one between us, Stiles could bring out my hyper side. To say the house being quiet with the two of us home together was something that didn’t happen often. It was only quiet after we fought, but we forgave each other within a few minutes… then it’d be loud again.

The only sounds that were made were me flipping through pages, Stiles’s typing, or Stiles taking some Adderall to stay focused.

It was so quiet that when someone knocked on Stiles’s door, I jumped so fast that I fell off of his bed. “Hide the books!” Stiles rushed me and I stood up quickly, throwing Stiles’s blanket over the books.

He cautiously opened the door, and when it revealed a smiling Scott, we both heaved out sighs of relief. “Get in,” he ordered. “You gotta see this. So we’ve been reading nonstop since we got home - websites, books, all kinds of information.”

“How much Adderall have you had today?” Scott inquired curiously.

“A lot,” Stiles replied, not sure himself. “Doesn’t matter, okay? Just listen.”

“Oh? Is this about the body?” Scott asked, throwing his backpack on the floor before sitting down next to me. “Did they find out who did it?”

“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “They’re still questioning people, even Derek Hale.”

“The guy we saw in the woods the other day?” Scott inquired, looking at me with his head cocked to the side.

“Yeah, but that’s not it, okay?!” Stiles replied, whirling around in his chair to look at the two of us.

Scott looked taken aback but nodded nonetheless, “Okay… what then?”

“Remember the joke in the woods the other day?” Stiles questioned.

When Scott nodded, I sighed. “Well, it’s not a joke anymore,” I told him, making him look totally confused.

“What do you mean?”

“The wolf - the bite in the woods… We started doing all of this reading. Do you even know why a wolf howls?” Stiles exclaimed, standing up.

“Should I?” Scott asked Stiles before turning to me.

“It’s a signal,” I supplied, knowing my brother was too wired up. “When a wolf’s alone, it howls to signal its location to the rest of the pack. So, if you heard a wolf howling, that means others could be nearby, maybe even a pack of them.”

“A whole pack of wolves?” Scott looked totally confused.

“No,” Stiles shook his head. “Werewolves.”

Scott looked completely upset as he stood up. In defense, I stood up as well, but since I stood only to the boys’ chins, it wasn’t much. “Are you guys seriously wasting my time with all of this? You guys know I’m picking up Allison in an hour.”

“I saw you on the field today, Scott,” Stiles interjected. “Okay? What you did wasn’t just amazing, alright? It was impossible.”

“Yeah, so I made a good shot,” Scott shrugged, picking up his backpack.

“No,” Stiles firmly shook his head. “You made an  _incredible_ shot. I mean, the way you moved - your speed, your reflexes… Y’know, people can’t just suddenly do that overnight. A-and then there’s the vision and the senses… and don’t even think that I don’t notice that you don’t need your inhaler anymore.”

“Okay!” Scott snapped, and I was taken aback. Scott hardly even snapped at us. “Look, I can’t talk about this now. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Scott, the full moon is  _tonight_ ,” I said firmly. “Don’t you understand?”

“What are you two trying to do?!” Scott cried, looking at me. I noticed his eyes flashed a bright gold before reverting back to his normal chocolate brown. “I just made first line, I got a date with a girl who I can’t believe wants to go out with me, and everything in my life is somehow perfect. Why are my best friends trying to ruin it for me?!”

“We’re trying to help,” Stiles pleaded. “You’re cursed, Scott.”

“You changing is the least of our worries,” I tried to explain. “The full moon will also cause your bloodlust to be at its peak.”

“Bloodlust?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Your urge to kill.”

“I’m already starting to feel an urge to kill, Stiles,” Scott said pointedly, looking at my brother.

“Scott,” I sighed, picking up the book I was reading. “‘The change can be caused by anger or anything that raises their pulse.’”

“I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen anyone that raises your pulse like Allison does!” Stiles quipped. I would’ve laughed at any other time, but again… not the time. “You gotta cancel this date. I’m gonna call her right now.”

Stiles walked over to where Scott’s backpack was and began to rummage through it.

“What are you doing?!” Scott demanded.

“I’m cancelling the date,” Stiles explained.

“No!” Scott yelled. “Give it to me!” My eyes widened in shock as Scott pinned Stiles against the wall with his left arm while he pulled his right hand back, forming a fist.

Before he did anything, though, Scott let out an angry roar and knocked Stiles’s chair to the ground. I jumped back from the sudden movement and to avoid my feet being crushed. Scott heaved heavily as he released Stiles. My eyes met Scott’s, but I looked down, unable to react to what had just happened.

I could feel him look between Stiles and me a couple of times before he said, “I’m sorry.” There was more heavy breathing as he continued, “I - I gotta get ready for that party.”

I retaliated when Scott got a bit too close to me to grab his backpack. I peeked up between my hair and saw the hurt expression on his face. I looked away again, completely ashamed. I don’t know what I was ashamed for.

Was it because my best friend is a werewolf and I can’t accept it? No… I’ve accepted it just fine… Was it because my best friend scares me half to death? … That’s probably it.

“I’m sorry,” I heard Scott say again before the door was shut.

My knees gave my weight away and I tumbled to Stiles’s bed, sitting on it. My hands were visibly shaking and I heard Stiles pick up his chair.

“Sindy…” Stiles called for my attention. I looked up, trying to will my hands to stop the shaking. Silently, Stiles spun his chair so the back was to me, and I could see three distinct tears that resembled claw marks.

“Oh God…” I breathed out. He really was a werewolf. Then I realized something. “We need to go to that party,” I declared. “If Scott gets out of control, we’ll have to take him somewhere else.”

“Sindy, you could get hurt,” Stiles said, looking at me.

“And Scott can hurt everyone else,” I shot back. “I can take care of myself, Stiles. Besides…” I started, but trailed off. It wasn’t for another half a minute before I continued, “I was… scared of Scott. I saw how I hurt him. If anyone is going to be hurt the most, it’ll be Scott. We have to be there for him.”

Stiles let out a sigh, but I’m sure it was because I was too stubborn and not because he didn’t want to help Scott. “Fine, but the second he gets out of control and we’re alone, you run, alright?”

“I’m not gonna leave you alone with him, Stiles,” I frowned.

“ _Promise_ me,” Stiles almost begged me. “Please.”

I looked into his eyes, which were just a couple shades darker than my caramel-colored ones. “Fine,” I muttered. That seemed to satisfy him, and I got up from the bed. “I’m gonna go get ready. We’ll take my car.”

“Fine by me,” Stiles shrugged before I left the bedroom.

I headed to my own room and opened my closet, grabbing a random dress from the casual dress section I had. These dresses were a bit fancy to wear to school, but hey, there were some days I felt like dressing up.

I looked down at what I had grabbed and saw that it was a black Rebecca Taylor ponte and lace v-neck mini-dress. I vaguely remembered that even though it was originally a $350 dress, I had a 70% off coupon  _and_ free shipping and handling, so I only had to pay $105 for it, which wasn’t bad.

I worked at the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital as a filer and re-stocker. It wasn’t much, but I got paid a good $10 an hour and I worked ten hours a week, even more during breaks. It was how I was able to get a car that was a lot better than Stiles’s jeep (since I actually had money to pay for my own gas).

An hour later, I was freshly showered and was putting the last finishing touches of the mascara that I was wearing. I had added some extra curls to my hair, and as I was putting on my chapstick, my brother knocked on my door.

“You ready yet?” Stiles asked.

“Yeah!” I called back. I threw my chapstick in my clutch bag before walking to my door and throwing it open.

Stiles looked at me up and down before asking, “You sure you don’t wanna change?” I rolled my eyes and shoved him out of my way lightly, heading downstairs. “Seriously, Sindy. I’ve got enough troubles with Scott. I don’t need to go around beating other guys with a bat.”

My brother and I got along better than most siblings (if I do say so myself). There were no secrets between us. I was the first (or Scott) to know anything that went around Stiles and he (and Scott) were the first to know if there was anything up with me… even crushes.

It didn’t take Stiles long to pull up in front of Lydia’s house, and when we arrived, the party was in full swing mode.

“I’m gonna go look for Scott!” Stiles shouted to me over the music. I nodded and my brother wandered off.

“Someone’s looking fine tonight,” a voice drawled. I turned around, feeling my hair brush over my shoulders lightly.

“Jackson,” I greeted curtly, nodding my head.

Jackson’s eyes scanned me up and down before he grinned wolfishly at me. “Sindy Stilinski… you always clean up real nice.”

“Thanks,” I replied bluntly. “Shouldn’t you be with Lydia? Y’know, your  _girlfriend_ ?”

Jackson held up his hands in an almost defensive way. “I’m just looking, there’s no harm in that. No touching’s involved at all… unless… you want to.” He winked at me.

I frowned. “No, thanks.” I turned around and walked away, heading to the cooler. I didn’t trust the punch that was being offered, so I found a Coke and popped the tab open, drinking from it.

A flash of black caught my eye and before I knew it, Derek Hale was in front of me in all of his tall, dark, handsome glory. The only difference I saw from the other times I’ve seen him was that he was wearing a white t-shirt instead of a black one tonight.

“Are you stalking me or something?” I joked, laughing lightly.

The man before me simply continued to look at me. “Where’s Scott McCall?”

“Dunno,” I shook my head. “My brother’s looking for him, though.” It was then I noticed someone waving at me, jumping around. I rolled my eyes when I saw it was just my brother. He waved his phone at me and then my keys.

I furrowed my brows in confusion and opened my clutch, pulling out my phone. I had a new text from Stiles:  _Scott doesn’t look too good. I’m gonna follow him. Be back to pick you up later._

I looked back up and as soon as I gave the nod, he dashed off.

“Scott’s not feeling well,” I informed Derek. “It looks like my brother’s leaving to check up on him. Agh… we should’ve drove in separate cars…”

“Do you need a ride home?” Derek inquired.

“Do you mind?” I shot back.

“Would I be offering if I did?”

Huh, good point. I observed him for a few seconds, taking in his mostly-clean shaven face. There was a hint of a scruff coming on, but it wasn’t there yet. I couldn’t help but note that he’d look  _extremely_ good with a stubble or scruff.

“Please and thank you?” I smiled innocently. Derek nodded curtly and we began to leave, the mass of sweaty bodies making it slightly uncomfortable.

As soon as we were out of the crowd and in the front yard, it was then I realized it was quite cold. “Oh, jeez,” I breathed out. “Maybe I should’ve stolen Stiles’s jacket since he stole my car.”

“Your fault for not wearing a jacket when it’s January,” Derek commented casually. I turned to glare at him, but something black obscured my vision.

I reached up and felt smooth, cold leather. I pulled it away from my face, realizing quickly that it was Derek’s leather jacket. “You sure?” I asked.

“Would I be offering if I wasn’t?”

I smiled and slipped it on. It was  _huge_ to say the least. The sleeves went right past my arms and the jacket was as long as my dress itself. I couldn’t help but breathe in the warm scent that engulfed me: woodsy with a thickness that I couldn’t place.

I spotted Allison standing at the curb of Lydia’s house, looking off into the distance with a look of disbelief. I then remembered that she came with Scott, but he had left with Stiles trailing behind him.

“Allison?” I called for the girl’s attention.

The girl whirled around at the sound of my voice and she quickly hid the dejected look she had. “Sindy?” She looked from me to Derek and then back to me.

“This is Derek,” I introduced. “He’s a… uh… friend of mine. Derek, this is Allison, a friend of mine from school.”

Derek nodded his head before pulling out keys from the pocket of his dark jeans. “Do you need a ride home?” Allison nodded slowly before he walked us over to where a Camaro that was  _surprise, surprise_ , black.

Allison climbed into the back of the car and shut the door behind me before I could climb in. Derek raised an eyebrow at me, gesturing to the passenger seat before climbing in the car himself.

I opened the passenger door and slid in, closing the door behind me. Allison let out a heavy sigh in the back and I heard some rustling. I angled my head, seeing Allison take off her jacket while Derek started the engine.

“Scott’s not a bad guy, Allison,” I said from where I sat. “He’s just going through some…  _troubles_ right now.”

“Can we not talk about him right now?” Allison asked me.

“Uh… yeah…” I nodded. “Sure.” I pulled out my phone, and texted Stiles, saying Allison and I were getting a ride from Derek.

Allison and I gave directions to our houses, and since Allison’s was the closest, she was dropped off first. She gave us a small thanks before leaving the car.

Derek then took off, heading in the direction of my house. “You know about Scott, don’t you?” he asked me.

The silence was a bit uncomfortable, so I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head, “You should grow out your facial hair.”

“Oh, really?” Derek replied. “Why’s that?”

“You’d uh… look at lot more h-handsome,” I stuttered out, blood rushing to my cheeks. Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said. “I mean, it’s not that you’re bad-looking right now, in fact, you’re quite good-looking and… and… and… I’ll- I’ll just shut up now…” I mumbled the last part. I slunk into the seat, willing myself to get even smaller than I already was. How mortifying.

I heard a small rumble from Derek and I couldn’t help but just know that he was laughing  _at_ me.

I couldn’t help but let out a burst of excitement go through my body when my house came into view. When the car pulled to a complete stop in front of my house, I scrambled out of the seat, rushing out a quick, “Thank you!” before all but running into my house.

I slammed the door shut and placed my back against it.

Oh, God. I can’t believe I just told a  _hot_ twenty-something-year-old that I thought he was hot. Fuck my life.

My phone rang, echoing throughout the silent house suddenly and I jumped in shock. I dug into the pocket of… oh crap, I still had Derek’s jacket and he had my clutch… which I forgot in my haste.

When I pulled it out, it stopped ringing. I saw I had a missed call from Stiles, and before I could even call him back, it began to ring again.

“Where’s the fire?” I joked, answering the phone call.

_“_ Sindy _!”_ Stiles exclaimed in relief.  _“Thank God you’re alright!”_

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I cocked my head to the side, confused.

_“Sindy, Scott found out who bit him,”_ Stiles reported and I stood up, attentive.  _“It’s Derek Hale.”_

I dropped my phone in shock, making it clatter to the ground. Thankfully, it was durable enough to not break.  _“Sindy?”_ I heard faintly.  _“Sindy?!”_

I dropped to my knees and picked up my phone. “I-I’m alright. I-I just…” I exhaled deeply. “I need to get some sleep.”

_“Go ahead,”_ Stiles said.  _“I’ll be home in ten minutes.”_

I nodded dully and heard a  _click_ , signaling he had hung up. I trekked upstairs slowly and all I could think was one thing: I pretty much just hit on a werewolf that was going to kill me.


	3. Nightmares Commence

**MONDAY  
** **JANUARY 17, 2011**

I adjusted my bag as I waited for the boys to arrive from the locker room. Because of the whole Derek-Hale-giving-me-a-ride-home thing, Stiles and Scott made it their job to make sure I was with one of them (or better yet: both) so Derek didn’t ambush me and turn me, too.

I dug into my bag, looking for a book to read, when something caught my eye: It was my clutch, which I had forgotten in Derek’s car the other night.

I had gotten to school earlier today and when I opened my locker, there, sitting on top of my books, was the clutch I had forgotten in my haste of embarrassment on Friday night.

After Stiles checked it for anything: bombs, trackers, stolen items - jeez, the guy was a _werewolf_ not a thief and bomber (I think) - he gave it back to me.

I snapped out of my thoughts when Stiles came barreling right towards me, almost crashing into the bleachers in the midst of stopping so suddenly.

“We got a big problem,” Stiles panted out.

“Where’s the fire?” I blinked, cocking my head to the side.

“Remember the hunters Scott told us about?” Stiles inquired. What a dumb question, obviously I did. Apparently, he realized it and then brushed it off, “Nevermind. Stupid question. Anyway, Allison’s father was one of them.”

My jaw dropped.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded, deeming my reaction appropriate.

Coach blew his whistle, and Stiles patted my shoulder. I nodded, wishing him a quick, “Good luck,” before he jogged onto the field.

Practice was just like any other day, so I was just reading _Maximum Ride_ when I heard a _thud_. Curiosity got to me, and I looked up. Scott was on the floor, and Jackson was walking away from him.

Finstock walked over to him, and began to scold Scott, calling him slower than his dead grandmother. I pursed my lips, tensing up. This was _not_ good.

I could practically _feel_ how tense Scott was. He jogged over so he was in front of Stiles and stared down at Jackson. When Finstock blew his whistle, Scott charged.

He gave no mercy and ran right into Jackson, making him fall to the ground. I stood up quickly when Scott gripped his head tightly, like he was in pain.

I ran over to Scott quickly, and gripped his shoulders tightly. Stiles came running towards us and gripped the other side of Scott.

“Scott?” I called. When I heard no response, I tried again, “Scotty?”

“Scott, you okay?” Stiles inquired.

“I can’t control it, guys, it’s happening,” Scott hissed out.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, right here?” Stiles was panicked. His eyes darted to where the others were surrounding Jackson and then at me. “We gotta get him out of here.”

“The locker room,” I rushed out. “Let’s go.”

Stiles nodded, gripping Scott’s right side. I grabbed onto his left and we hoisted him up, rushing to to the locker room.

As we jogged past the bleachers, a black spot stood out from all the greenery that surrounded us. My eyes made swift contact with a pale green and I felt his eyes bore into my soul. Derek was here.

I suddenly stumbled over the speed, unable to keep up with the boys. I quickly caught myself, remembering what was more important: Scott.

I let go of Scott partway to the locker room and ran ahead, picking up speed easily. I raced down the hallway, and pushed open the door ungracefully, almost tumbling into the room.

Stiles brought Scott in a few seconds later and the latter all but pushed the former away from him. We tried to go help him, but he simply looked at us and I found myself looking into golden eyes and large fangs.

“ _Get away from me_!” Scott roared, and I fell back in shock.

“Crap, crap, crap,” I cursed, and Stiles grabbed my hand and we rushed away from him, scrambling. I tripped over a bench and cursed out, “Fuck!” before Stiles and I stumbled against the lockers.

I heard a crash, which signalled me to look upwards. Scott was on top of the lockers, glowering down at us from behind his lacrosse mask.

“Shit,” Stiles cursed. “Split up, maybe we’ll confuse him.” He pushed me away and we darted in different directions.

I heard snarling, which echoed through the empty locker room, but whenever Stiles and I scrambled, we would make a small crashing noise.

“To the door, the door!” I cried, pointing hurriedly towards the exit.

“Easier said than done!” Stiles retorted, and I almost banged my head against some lacrosse gear. _Boys_.

I spotted Stiles grab the fire extinguisher that was near the door and he ripped off the tab. When he aimed it at Scott, nothing shot out.

“Swishing motion!” I ordered. I grabbed the tube and Stiles pressed down. I swiped the tube, and it let out a hiss before the carbon dioxide came spurting out in a white fog.

We backed out of the room and I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. I glanced over at Stiles, and he was mirroring my expression. It was times like these did Stiles and I truly felt like twins.

“Stiles… Sindy…?” I heard a weak Scott call out.

Cautiously, we peaked in the room. Scott had removed his helmet to reveal his sweaty face. His eyes were back to being brown and from the looks of it, his incisors were the length of a human’s.

“What happened?” Scott asked upon seeing us.

Seeing as Scott was back to normal, I tossed the fire extinguisher down onto the ground carelessly while Stiles took off his gloves.

“You tried to kill us,” Stiles clued him in.

“It’s like we said,” I said, taking a seat beside Scott, “anger is the trigger. Your pulse rises, you transform.”

“But that’s lacrosse,” Scott explained. “It’s a pretty violent game, if you haven’t noticed.”

“Well, it’s gonna be a lot more violent if you end up killing someone on the field,” Stiles pointed out.

“Stiles,” I snapped, making my brother look at me. “Not helping.” Stiles shrugged, giving me a ‘What can you do about it?’ face. I turned my attention back to Scott, “Scott, you can’t play in the game on Saturday.”

“But I’m first line,” Scott protested.

“Not anymore,” Stiles and I retaliated.

I then heard some loud laughing and talking, along with some shuffling, and realized the rest of the boys were coming back from their practice. I glanced up from where I sat just as Danny came walking in, leading the others.

“I figured you’d be here,” Danny commented, looking at me. He held up my bag and explained, “You left this out there.”

“Thanks, Danny,” I said, standing up and taking the bag. Danny nodded, turning his attention to Scott. I shuffled a bit before asking, “How’s Jackson?”

“Coach is with him,” Danny said to me, but not at me. “They don’t know for sure, yet.” Scott looked away before Danny turned his attention back to me. “You should leave before Coach comes.”

I nodded, giving another thanks to Danny before leaving the locker room.

After leaving the locker room, I sighed heavily before heading to my car.

Before I could get into my car, I felt myself get pulled away. I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but a hand clamped over my lips, making me release inaudible sounds.

“Keep quiet,” a deep voice rumbled into my ear. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I heard a hidden threat in-between the order. “I'm going to let you go. Do not scream, got that?”

My eyes widened fearfully and I nodded slowly.

True to his word, my captor released me. I was spun around and came face to chest with a Henley shirt. I glanced up, seeing a light scruff before I made contact with pale green.

“Derek…” I exhaled, my heart rate slowing a bit. Despite what Stiles and Scott said, I trusted Derek to an extent. I still had no idea how trust-worthy he was, but he hadn't done anything to betray my trust just yet.

“Scott can't play the game on Saturday,” Derek wasted no time telling me.

“Tell me something I don't already know,” I retorted. He glowered down at me like he was going to hurt me, but something told me he wasn't. I didn't back down. “Something tells me you didn't bite Scott, too.”

Derek cocked an eyebrow at me. “And what makes you say that so confidently? Hm?”

“I…” I began. Derek’s eyebrow raised even higher. “I don’t know… That’s what my gut tells me,” I breathed out. Then I remembered something, “Did - did you… kill that girl? In the woods?” It kinda felt like I was that girl from _Twilight_.

Ugh. Bad reference. Sorry.

“What does your gut tell you?” Derek asked back. Before I could reply, he suddenly turned to the school. He turned back to me and said lowly, “I’m leaving. Make sure Scott _does not_ play.” Without waiting for any confirmation, he stalked away.

“Do I want to know why you’re totally staring off into space?” Stiles inquired, walking out to join me.

I shrugged. I had learned that if I lied, my heart would stutter, and Scott would be able to pick it up. I simply climbed into my car and said, “I’ll meet you back at home. I gotta run a couple errands first.” Stiles nodded in confirmation and I gave Scott a wave before driving off.

After finishing off my errands within a couple hours, I drove back to my house. I called for Stiles to help me put away the groceries, and he came running downstairs with a toy gun.

“Do I want to know why?” I inquired, arching a brow at him. He shrugged and I handed him a paper bag full of items.

Once everything was put away, I climbed upstairs. Stiles called out, “Log online!” and I did so.

I changed into comfortable pajamas: a large t-shirt and shorts, before I had an incoming video call. I accepted it and was immediately greeted with Stiles and Scott’s faces.

 _“What’d you find out?”_ Scott inquired.

 _“Well,”_ Stiles started, sighing, _“it’s bad. Jackson’s got a separated shoulder.”_

 _“Because of me?”_ Scott almost sounded like he was whining.

 _“Because he’s a tool,”_ Stiles responded.

“Is he gonna be able to play?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

 _“They don’t know yet,”_ Stiles told me. _“Now they’re just counting on you for Saturday.”_

I heard Scott let out a heavy sigh and I noticed a shadow behind him. There was _no way_ that was his mom. I saw that Stiles was typing, but before it sent, we disconnected.

“ _FUCK_!” I heard Stiles yell from his room. I got out of my seat, heading to Stiles’s room. When I got there, I spotted Stiles intensely hunched over his laptop.

“Oh God,” I gaped. “Is that-?”

“Derek?” Stiles interrupted me. “Yeah.” I watched as Derek pinned Scott to the wall, vehemently whispering words I couldn’t here.

Then, as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared.

“Scott…?” Stiles and I inquired, a bit unsure.

“You okay, buddy?” Stiles added.

“I-I-I’m fine,” Scott stuttered out. He looked a bit shaken up as he plopped back into the chair. “I-I can’t play the game Saturday.”

 **FRIDAY  
** **JANUARY 21, 2011**

“So, how’d it go?” I asked, approaching Scott. He groaned and banged his head against his locker. “Don’t hold back your great mood,” I commented sarcastically.

“Not the best time, Sindy,” Scott grumbled, referring to my sarcasm. He shifted his backpack over his shoulder and we began walking to our next class. “I get enough of that from Stiles.”

Before we could do anything, said boy grabbed Scott, who instinctively grabbed my wrist. We let Stiles drag us behind a wall and he pushed Scott in front of us. “Tell me what they’re saying.”

I glanced up the stairs, and that was when I noticed my dad talking with the principal. I watched as Scott narrowed his eyes, his focus totally on our dad.

“Curfew because of the body,” he reported.

Stiles scoffed disbelievingly. “Unbelievable. My dad's out looking for a rabid animal, while the jerk-off who actually killed the girl is just hangin’ out, doing whatever he wants.”

“Well, you can’t exactly tell your dad the truth about Derek,” Scott pointed out.

“Are you sure it’s Derek?” I asked, making the two boys swirl to me. “I-I mean maybe it could be someone else…”

“Sindy,” Stiles sighed, “I know you like the guy and all, but do you honestly think that there’s someone _else_ out there that’s _worse_ than Derek?”

"I don’t like him,” I grumbled.

“Oh, you do,” Stiles answered. “I saw that ‘oh my God he’s so hot’ look on your face when we first met him. _Dude_!” He pushed at my shoulder, but not roughly.

“So I find him hot, whatever,” I shrugged, pushing Stiles back as well. “At least he knows of my existence.”

“What’re you talking about?” both Stiles and Scott asked, mirroring each other’s confusion.

I shrugged. “I might’ve run into him more than once these past couple of weeks…”

“Are you trying to get yourself _killed_?” Stiles and Scott exclaimed. Thankfully, the hallway was so loud that their exclamations were blocked out. Sometimes, I think Stiles and Scott were the twins, not Stiles and I.

“We gotta do something about this,” Stiles declared. He didn’t even wince when I hit his chest.

“Like what?” Scott turned to his partner in crime.

“Find the other half of the body,” Stiles said. Without even waiting for a reply, he walked off, leaving Scott and me alone.

“Are you kidding?!” Scott exclaimed to Stiles’s retreating back, but the latter didn’t bother to look back at us. He sighed heavily before something caught his attention.

I was about to chase after him, but was stopped by a voice. “Hey, Sindy!”

I whirled around at the sound of my name being called. “Oh, hey, Danny,” I greeted.

“I kind of sort of ditched history the other day to go check up on Jackson…” Danny trailed off. “Did you take notes on last night’s reading?”

Usually when there were readings, I liked to take notes so I could remember the details more clearly, and so I could study more properly. Also, there were times Stiles and Scott didn’t actually _do_ the reading, so they’d look over my notes to not be _totally_ screwed.

“Yeah,” I nodded, reaching into my bag. I opened my binder, quickly finding the notes. I handed it to Danny, who gave me a grateful thanks. “No prob.” He and I then turned our heels, walking in different directions.

“-rek.”

“Your friend?”

“He’s not my friend. How much did you talk to him when he drove you and Sindy home?”

“Mmm, not much at all.”

“What did you say?”

I noticed he was scaring Allison with his pushiness, so I stepped forward, linking my arm with Scott’s. “Hey, Scotty!” I exclaimed, making him break eye contact with his potential girlfriend.

“Now’s not the time, Sindy,” Scott huffed, looking down at me. “Tell me about the night Derek drove you two home.”

“Not much happened,” I told him honestly. “If anyone was doing the talking, it was me. You know how I ramble when I’m not completely comfortable.”

Scott looked thoughtful for a second, looking off in the distance.

 _‘Is he okay?’_ Allison mouthed me.

I rolled my eyes in response before mouthing, _‘I’ll deal with him.’_

Allison nodded her head before saying, “I… gotta get to class. I have a…” She didn’t even bother finishing her excuse before walking off, even though we had a good four minutes to get to class.

Scott looked down at me with a pleading look. “Could you talk to her? I-I have to go do something.”

“I hope it’s not _too_ stupid,” I sighed, releasing my grip on him. I brushed a lock of hair out of my face. “Go.” He gave me a thankful look, like I just gave him a treat and then ran off.

I walked to French, the one class I didn’t have with Stiles and/or Scott. I did have it with Allison, though, and I had invited her to sit next to me on the first day back, so we were partners.

I slipped into the seat next to Allison and she didn’t waste any time asking me, “What was going on out there?”

“Scott was just being Scott,” I sighed out, shaking my head. “Don’t let it get to you. He gets… overprotective, sometimes.”

“Does it happen a lot?” Allison asked, “with you?”

“All the time,” I rolled my eyes. “Stiles and Scott are like _this_ ,” I emphasized with wrapping my middle finger over my index to show how close they were.

“I mean, like, _specifically_ with you,” Allison elaborated.

I turned my head fully to her, cocking my head to the side in confusion. _Specifically_ with me? She means like - “Oh!” I exclaimed. “Are Scott and I…?” I trailed off. She nodded. I shook my head. “No, no, no. He’s like, another brother to me. By all means, please, go for him. I’ve never seen him enraptured with any girl besides you before.”

Allison’s cheeks tinged pink a bit. “Really?”

“Please, keep him sane for us,” I confirmed, just as the bell rang.

Halfway through class, my phone vibrated. I glanced up to see if the teacher was still lecturing. When I saw that she and her back to the class, I unlocked my phone and read the text from Scott to Stiles and me.

 **_Scott McCall_ ** **: _Found the body. Come to my place ASAP._**

**Sindy Stilinski: _In class. Be there when school ends._**

**Stiles Stilinski: _Crap. TELL ME LATER._**

The three of us had our own little group message chat because it was always a lot easier to pass on information through each other that way. Either way, the other was going to find out, so it was always best for us to just group chat everything instead of one-on-one. Before texting became a thing, we had many three-way phone calls.

When the bell to end class rang, I stood up, gathering my stuff. I heard the sound of rushed footsteps all but pound into the room, and when I glanced up, Stiles was there, jittery with anticipation.

“Hurry up!” he urged, swiping my binder for me. “Let’s go!” Allison looked at Stiles with confusion, but walked off, no doubt to meet up with Lydia.

“The information’s not going anywhere, Stiles,” I sighed, but grabbed everything else.

Stiles all but ran out the door, and I had to jog to follow behind him. I guess we were ditching our last period of the day. Oh well, it’s not like Finstock cared about schooling. He was known for bribing his players with As.

I climbed into Stiles’s jeep, since we had ridden in his car today, and he took off before I could even get my seatbelt all the way on.

Stiles barely remembered to place the car into park before yanking the keys out and rushing into the McCall residence. I climbed out and jogged after my brother, watching as he took three steps at a time to get to Scott’s room.

He threw open Scott’s door, yelling, “What did you find?! How did you find it? Where did you find it? And, yes, I’ve had a lot of Adderall, so-”

I let out a heavy sigh, plopping myself onto Scott’s maroon sheets. Having a brother with ADHD was exhausting sometimes.

“I found something at Derek Hale’s,” Scott reported to us.

I sat up straighter at the mention of his name. “Are you kidding, what?” I demanded.

“There’s something buried there,” Scott said to us. “I could smell blood.”

“That’s awesome!” Stiles exclaimed. I glowered at him. “I uh, mean, that’s terrible. Whose blood?”

“I don’t know,” Scott said, standing up. “But when we do, your dad nails Derek for the murder, and then _you two_ will help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing, because there’s no way I’m _not_ playing that game.”

He threw his restrung lacrosse stick on the bed just as I stood up. They were really determined about this.

“Even if Derek’s the murderer,” I sighed as I followed them down the stairs, “what’ll happen if he catches us.”

“I’ll come up with a plan,” Stiles assured us, but it didn’t seem very reassuring. Even though I didn’t believe Derek was a murderer, I knew he was a _werewolf_ , and I’m starting to think that was even worse than a murderer.

Stiles first drove us to the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. “I swear, if you guys get me fired…” I began, but before I could finish my threat, Stiles cut me off.

“Relax,” he said, patting my shoulder. “When have we ever sold you out?” I looked at the two pointedly. “...Okay, so maybe we have, but this is different. Don’t worry about it, alright?”

I rolled my eyes before looking at Scott. “The morgue should be easy enough to find. I’ll keep a lookout from across the hall.”

“I’ll be in the waiting area,” Stiles informed. “Good luck, I guess?”

Scott entered the morgue and I leaned against the wall, waiting for Scott. A few minutes later, Scott walked out of the door. I quirked an eyebrow, “Got it?”

“Yeah,” Scott nodded.

We went to rejoin Stiles, who was reading a pamphlet about the menstrual cycle. “What the hell are you reading?” I asked.

“Holy God!” Stiles jumped when I asked that question.

“The scent was the same,” Scott said.

Stiles stood up quickly, focusing intently. “You sure?”

“Yes,” Scott nodded his head.

“So he _did_ bury the other half of the body on his property?”

“Which means we have proof he killed the girl.”

Both boys turned to look at me, with looks that read, _‘I told you so.’_

I sighed for the umpteenth time. “We’re gonna need shovels.”

Later, I found us staking out the burnt Hale household, waiting for Derek to leave the place.

I didn’t get how people could do this crap. It’s the most boring thing in the world. I felt my eyelids get heavy, so I lied down on the back seat, before closing my eyes.

It wasn’t until I felt something hit me and I unconsciously swung up did I realize I really did fall asleep.

“ _Ow_ !” I heard Stiles hiss. “Dammit, Sindy, wake _up_!”

I slowly peeled my eyes open, and realized it was completely dark out. “Is he gone?” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I sat up.

“ _Yes_ ,” Stiles hissed. “So grab a shovel and let’s start digging.”

“Go suck a lemon,” I grumbled, but still grabbing my shovel. I stepped out of the jeep and closed the door behind me.

Stiles shined a flashlight behind me as Scott led us to the burial sight. “Wait, something’s different,” he said, sniffing around.

“How is it different?” I asked, watching where I was going.

“I dunno,” Scott replied. “Let’s just get this over with,” he declared, digging his shovel into a pile of dirt.

I planted my shovel into the ground, and joined my two companions in their digging.

Now, let me tell you something about shovelling: it’s _boring_ and _hard work_. I’m not kidding. You dig a small hole, and then some dirt falls. You dig some more, some more dirt falls. Half of what you dig is immediately buried.

Not to mention how heavy the shovels were.

I can say that I’m mostly fit, but _jeez_. I’m a runner, not a lifter.

“This is taking way too long,” Scott said worriedly, voicing my thoughts.

“Just keep going,” Stiles insisted.

“What if he comes back?” Scott asked.

“Then we get the hell out of here,” Stiles retorted.

“And if he catches us?” I inquired, still digging.

“I have a plan for that,” Stiles said smartly.

“Elaborate,” I urged him.

“You run one way, Scott runs another, I run another. Whoever he catches first, too bad.”

“Oh, I hate that plan,” Scott complained. “Sindy never gets caught. It’s either you or me.”

“Then it’s either you or me,” Stiles shrugged. He dug his shovel down, and he hit something. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop, stop, stop.”

I threw my shovel aside and bent down. I felt the cold, soft yet rough soil brush against my fingers, sticking to my hands as I brushed away the dirt on whatever was barricading our way.

When the dirt was brushed back, it revealed a sack with a bunch of knots tied around it. Stiles immediately began working on the first one.

“Hurry!” Scott urged.

“I’m trying, but did he have to tie the thing in, like, nine-hundred knots?” Stiles scoffed. I worked on the one on the far left while Scott untied the one on the far right.

Damn, these knots were _tight_. Werewolf strength was not to be underestimated. When it was fully untied, we all pulled it back.

I jumped back in shock with a black _thing_ was there instead of a human body. “Oh my God!” I yelled, grabbing my furiously beating chest. “What the hell is that?!”

“It’s a wolf!” Scott exclaimed.

“Yeah, we can see that!” Stiles and I exclaimed at the same time.

“I thought you smelled blood, as in, _human blood_!” Stiles added on.

“I told you guys something was different,” Scott tried to defend himself.

“I’m gonna have nightmares for a week,” I groaned.

Stiles looked at the wolf’s body in disbelief. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“We’ll make sense when we get out of here,” I sighed, my heart rate slowing down a bit.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Yeah,” he repeated. “Help me cover this up.” Scott and I began to work on covering the body, which Stiles gripped my elbow, getting dirt on my jacket.

“What is it?” I asked, pausing in my actions. My brother was completely focused on something else.

“You see that flower?” Stiles pointed straight across from us.

I looked at the light blue, almost purple flower that was planted a couple feet from us. “Is that… what I think it is?”

“It’s a flower,” Scott deadpanned. “What about it?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s wolfsbane, Scott,” I quipped, looking at him pointedly.

“What’s that?”

“Haven’t you ever seen _The Wolf Man_?” Stiles looked at Scott. When Scott shook his head, Stiles continued, “Lon Chaney, Jr.? Claude Rains? The original, classic werewolf movie?”

Scott just looked exasperated. “No! What?!”

Stiles and I exchanged looks before sighing in unison. “You are so unprepared for this.”

Stiled stood up, walking over to the wolfsbane. He picked it up, only to realize it was attached to a rope. I watched as he pulled on the rope, going around us in circles, almost like a spiral.

I looked down and jumped back in shock again. Dear God, my heart can’t take any more of this.

I broke eye contact with the dead, upper half of the body of the woman, unable to keep looking at it any further.

I was gonna have nightmares for a _month_.


	4. Game Time

**SATURDAY  
** **JANUARY 22, 2011**

I watched from far away in the woods as my father arrested Derek. The latter held up no resistance, letting my dad guide him to the cruiser.

I saw him glower at Scott, before his pale green eyes headed straight towards me. I looked away immediately, unable to return his gaze.

I felt someone grab my arm, tugging me forward. “Stiles,” I groaned. “What stupid idea do you have  _now_ ?”

He planted me in front of the cruiser and said, “Keep watch,” before climbing in the passenger seat. I sighed heavily. It was bad enough I had an alleged murderer mad at me.

I heard Stiles tell Derek, “Okay, just so you know, I’m not afraid of you.” There was silence for a bit and I glanced behind me out of curiosity. Derek was glowering at Stiles. “Okay, maybe I am. Doesn’t matter. I just wanna know something. The girl you killed - she was a werewolf. She was a different kind, wasn’t she? I mean, she could turn herself into an actual wolf, and I know Scott can’t do that. Is that why you killed her?”

“Why are you so worried about me when it’s your friend that’s the problem?” Derek asked instead of replying. “When he shifts on the field, what do you think they’re going to do, huh? Keep cheering him on? I can’t stop him from playing, but you can.” He leaned forward, looking closely at Scott through the small fence that divided them. “And trust me, you want to.”

I looked up just in time to see my father standing in front of me. He motioned for me to move aside, and I did. I side-stepped away. Dad popped open the passenger door and dragged Stiles out by the ear.

“Is it really that bad?” I asked, watching my father and brother interact.

“Do you really have to ask such a stupid question?” was my answer.

I spun around so I could look through the window. Derek’s eyes met mine and we just stared at each other for God-knows-how-long. I felt… like I was drawn to him.

I leaned forward, resting my forehead against the cool glass, never breaking eye contact. He was also leaning forward, focused on me. When I blinked, it felt like the connection was lost, and I pulled back in shock.

Derek also seemed to be confused as well, backing away, while I stumbled back in shock. Just what  _was_ that?

My father gave me a stern look. He then pointed to where Stiles’s jeep was parked, silently telling me to leave. I nodded and walked off, heading to the jeep.

Scott let me climb in first before he piled in, closing the door behind him. Stiles reluctantly got into the driver’s seat and began to drive off.

Scott pulled out his phone as soon as we took off, trying to search up wolfsbane used for burials. “I can’t find anything,” he sighed heavily.

“Just keep looking,” Stiles said. “Maybe it’s like a ritual or something, like maybe they bury you as a wolf. Or maybe it’s like a special skill, you know? Like something you have to learn.”

“I’ll put it on my to-do list,” Scott said dryly. “Right underneath figuring out how the hell I’m playing this game tonight.”

“Maybe it’s different for girl werewolves…” Stiles thought out loud.

“Okay!” Scott yelled. “Stop it!”

“... Stop what?” Stiles inquired, confused.

“Stop saying ‘werewolves’! Stop enjoying this so much!” Scott snapped.

“Scott,” I reached forward, feeling his tense shoulder. He shrugged my hand off and I masked my hurt. “Are you okay?”

“ _No_ !” he roared. “No, I’m not! I’m so  _far_ from being  _okay_ !” It made me wonder if becoming a werewolf also tuned them in with their teenaged girl instincts, too. I love Scott and all, but he’s being  _really_ dramatic.

Get serious, Sindy.

“You’re going to have to accept this sooner or later, Scott,” Stiles pointed out.

“I can’t,” Scott choked out.

“You’re gonna have to,” Stiles continued.

“No! I mean I can’t breathe!” Scott groaned in pain and pushed on the ceiling roughly. Well, at least he didn’t break through it. The car swerved a bit, but Stiles was able to maintain control. “Pull over!”

“Why? What’s happening?!” I exclaimed worriedly. I turned to Stiles, “Stiles, what’d you do?!”

“Why’s it automatically my fault?!” he yelled back at me. I looked down at the backpack in my lap. Scott also seemed to have the same idea, because he reached back and roughly yanked it from me.

Scott zipped the backpack open, and pulled out the wolfsbane rope. “You kept it?!”

“What was I supposed to do with it?!” Stiles defended himself.

Scott let out another pained groan before yelling, “Stop the car!” The jeep screeched to a halt so quickly I was almost thrown into the back of the seats. Stiles scrambled to grab the backpack and rope and my eyes followed him.

Stiles threw the items as hard as he could and took deep breaths. “Okay!” he cried. “We’re good!”

I focused my attention back to Scott, but only spotted the passenger door swinging open and closed. “Uh… Stiles…?” I called. “We’ve got a problem.”

“Shit, shit, shit, shit,” Stiles cursed, scrambling into the car. “Where’d he go?!” he looked at me, panicked.

“I don’t know!” I yelled back.

“You were supposed to be keeping an eye on him!” Stiles yelled at me.

“You were supposed to  _not_ keep the wolfsbane rope! What the hell were you thinking?! It’s called wolfs _bane_ for a reason, dumbass!”

“I know, I know!” Stiles ran a hand over his head because he didn’t have much hair to run it through. “Damn,” he cursed. “Let’s go home, first. Hopefully he’ll show up at the game.”

Stiles slumped back to the jeep while I climbed into the passenger seat. I closed the door and he put the car back into drive.

He began to pull out his phone, activating the speaker. A few seconds later, someone picked up. When Stiles explained that it was him, the owner of the voice sighed heavily.

_“Stiles, you know you can’t call the dispatch line when I’m on duty.”_

“I just need to know if you’ve gotten any odd calls,” Stiles said. It made me wonder just  _how often_ he called the dispatch line.

_“Odd, how?”_

“Uh… like an odd person or… a dog-like individual roaming the streets.”

I shot Stiles a look. He returned one that read,  _‘What?! What else can I say?!’_ I rolled my eyes before burying my face into my hands.  _Brothers_ .

_“I’m hanging up on you now.”_

Stiles threw his phone to the back seat angrily after the operator didn’t bother hearing him out. He pressed his foot down on the gas pedal, and I felt us pick up speed.

When Stiles pulled into our driveway a few minutes later, I jumped out of the car. I needed to figure out what had just transpired between Derek and me.

“I need to go find out something,” I said hastily to Stiles, grabbing my keys. “I’ll be at the game. Text or call me if there’s an emergency.”

“Our best friend that’s a werewolf is on the loose, Sindy,” Stiles pointed out. “I count that as an emergency.”

I rolled my eyes and elaborated, “ _More_ of an emergency. We can’t do anything about it now.”

"Where are you going?!” Stiles hollered from inside the house.

“To see someone I need answers from!” I cried back, slipping into my car. I heard Stiles yell from the porch, but since I had shut the door, I couldn’t hear him.

I was turning out into the main road when my phone rang. I placed it on speaker and answered, “Hello?”

_“YOU CAN’T GO TO DEREK! HE’LL_ KILL _YOU!”_   Well, there was no wasted time with Stiles.

“It’ll be fine, Stiles,” I assured him. “He’s going to be behind steel bars. I’ll be on the other side.”

_“That’s not gonna stop a_ werewolf _with_ super-strength _,”_ Stiles retorted.  _“He’s going to rip your throat out… with his_ teeth _.”_

I furrowed my brow, not enjoying the visual. “That’s gross, Stiles. I’m gonna hang up on you right now. I’m driving.”

_“Wait - Si-”_ I ended the call, filling the car with silence. I made a right and stepped on the gas just a little bit, trying to get to the station faster.

Once I arrived, I parked my car and all but jumped out of it. I had lots of questions. I walked into the front and smiled at the lady at the front desk. “Hi, Tara~” I chirped cheerfully.

Tara gave me a kind smile before greeting me, “Hey, there, Sindy. Your dad’s not here right now.”

“Oh, I’m not here for Dad,” I said, making Tara’s face morph into confusion. “I’m here to see someone you have in custody…?” I trailed off. “Derek Hale?” I elaborated.

Tara frowned. “Sindy, he’s here for suspicion of  _murder_ .  _You_ should know that. After all, your brother filed the report.”

“ _Please_ , Tara~?” I asked. “Has he taken his one phone call yet?”

The deputy shook her head. “No. He says he didn’t want to call anyone.”

“Then can  _I_ take the place?” I cocked my head to the side. I jutted out my bottom lip, widening my eyes. Very few people said  _no_ to this face.

Tara looked at me blankly for a couple seconds. When I thought she wasn’t going to break, she let out a heavy sigh. “If I get in trouble for this, I’m throwing you under the bus.”

I beamed widely before following after her to the back, where the holding cells were. Derek didn’t even bother looking up when we entered, but I had no doubts that he knew I was there. Tara looked down at me sternly and said, “The second you feel uncomfortable, you  _leave_ , alright?” I nodded and she took one more glance at Derek before leaving the room.

When the door closed, Derek turned his head to look at me. His pale green eyes looked at me emotionlessly before asking, “What do you want?”

“How strong is a werewolf’s instinct?” I asked immediately. Similar to my brother, I didn’t like to beat around the bush when I needed answers quickly.

The older male before me looked at me blankly for a few seconds. I thought he wasn’t going to reply, but it turned out that he was just thinking. “It’s… difficult to describe,” he finally answered.

I grabbed a chair and carried it with me. I placed it in front of Derek’s cell before plopping down on it. He quirked an eyebrow at my actions, but otherwise didn’t say anything else. “Try to,” I encouraged him.

“There are two ways one can be a werewolf: born and bitten. I was born a werewolf. My control is a lot better than those bitten because I had to deal with it my whole life,” Derek informed me. “When a werewolf gives in to his instincts, they become an animal. They’ll attack and kill anything they deem a threat. That’s what Scott will do at the game.”

“So… basically, they’re a wild wolf in a human’s body…” I tried to understand. “Alright, then. Once we find Scott, we’ll be sure to drag him away.”

“… What do you mean when you  _find_ Scott?” Derek glowered at me. I think it was supposed to be threatening, but to me, it just spiked up a challenge in the pit of my stomach.

I arched my own brow at him and crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not his keeper,” I retorted. “Scott may be my best friend, but that doesn’t mean I know where he is all the time.”

“You lost him,” Derek concluded.

“Stiles had the wolfsbane rope in his backpack, it bothered Scott, and he ran off,” I admitted rather quickly.  _Damn_ .

He reached out and grabbed my wrist easily. He pulled me and I stumbled to my feet. I wrapped my hands around the steel bars to keep my balance and I looked up at Derek.

He leaned down and said steely, “You find him. And you stop him, or else he exposes himself  _and_ me. Got it?”

My breath got caught in my throat; my eyes were unable to look away. He glowered down at me and took deep, heavy breaths. I could feel the air hit the top of my head, making a couple strands of my hair fall in front of my face.

“Wh-what is this…?” I mumbled out, reaching up, taking my right hand and simply just  _touching_ the side of his face.

“I don’t know,” Derek responded, his voice huskier than it originally was. His eyes flashed an electric blue but then reverted back so quickly, I thought it was a figment of my imagination. “You should get away from me.”

“I thought you said you have a strong control…” I muttered out. Despite his words, he only seemed to lean down, getting closer and closer towards me.

All of a sudden, I felt a  _whoosh_ as the air was knocked out of me and I all but stumbled back into my seat. I was about to ask what was going on, when I heard keys jingling and the door suddenly opening.

I turned my head around and saw my dad walking in. He looked at me curiously for a second before turning to Derek. “Mr. Hale, due to the reports that the body that was found, belonging to a Miss Laura Hale, was attacked by an animal, you’re free to go. I apologize for the inconvenience my children caused.” My father looked pointedly at me.

“Actually, Sindy here was just here to apologize,” Derek replied in a rather respectful tone. “I was just assuring her that it was okay.”

Dad looked at me with a raised eyebrow before going to unlock Derek’s holding cell. Derek stepped out and threw me a glance.

Dad cleared his throat before saying, “Uh, just go to the front desk and fill out the papers we have for you. Once done, you’re free to go.”

Derek silently nodded before walking away, leaving my father with me. Dad looked at me and commented, “I didn’t know you knew Derek Hale.”

“Kinda…” I shrugged. “We haven’t really run in the same crowd until just recently.”

“Oh, really, now?” Dad inquired. “Do I want to know what kind of ‘crowd’ you and Stiles run in to be acquainted with Derek Hale?”

“Uh… well, it’s more like we’ve coincidentally run into each other multiple times,” I replied. “But… you don’t really want to know what we do.”

Dad gave me what I dubbed his “Sheriff Look”. “It’s not illegal, is it? Not drugs or anything, right?”

“ _No_ !” I exclaimed quickly. “God,  _no_ , Dad! How could you think that?!”

“The way you implied it!” Dad retorted back. But he gave out a heavy sigh, “Well, at least I’m doing  _some_ thing right.” He suddenly look like he aged five years right in front of my eyes.

I reached forward, reaching to touch his arm to comfort him. “You’re doing a great job, Dad.” He gave me a smile before he and I headed to the front desk.

Derek was finishing up his papers when Dad asked, “Do you need a ride back home, Derek?”

“No, thanks,” Derek replied, looking up from his papers. “I’m going to head to the lacrosse game at the high school first.”

“Aren’t you heading there?” Dad asked me.

“Yeah, to cheer on Scott and Stiles,” I nodded. At the mention of Scott’s name, I saw Derek’s eyes narrow. I turned to Derek and offered, “If you want, I could give you a ride there.”

Derek nodded mutely and Tara took back the papers he filled out. “You’re free to go, Mr. Hale. Once again, our deepest apologies.”

“I’ll see you at the game in a bit?” I asked Dad.

Dad nodded his head, pointing to his office. “I have a couple things to fill out first. I’ll make it, though.” I nodded and the werewolf followed me out of the station.

I climbed into the driver’s side of my car and Derek silently got in the passenger seat. We drove for a few minutes, before Derek spoke up first.

“What happened, down at the station… forget it happened. Don’t ever bring it up again, got it?” Derek ordered me.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel before making a right turn. I pursed my lips for a couple of seconds before saying, “Yeah… got it.” He was Derek, after all. I didn’t know him that well, but I could tell he wasn’t the kind of guy to actively pursue  _whatever_ we had developing.

He pursed his lips to hold something he wanted to say in before he turned, looking out the window.

I pulled into the school, finding a place next to Stiles’s jeep, which was surprising. I guess people just  _knew_ I parked next to his jeep. I got out of the car, popping open the trunk as I did so.

I looked at the two spare jerseys I kept in my trunk. Stiles and Scott weren’t the best at keeping spares, so I took it upon myself to keep them in my trunk, since I was almost always with them anyway.

I grabbed Scott’s jersey, since he was… going to play today, from the looks of it. Stiles and I didn’t really have the power to stop him. I threw on the jersey over my clothes, letting it fall over me like a dress.

“I thought your brother’s number was twenty-four,” Derek commented from where he leaned against my car.

“But Scott’s number eleven,” I replied. “I’m heading to the locker room. I’ll… see you later, I guess.” Without waiting for a response, I walked off, heading into the school. Hopefully,  _both_ Stiles and Scott were inside.

I knocked on the door to the closed locker room, hoping the boys were mostly decent. The door opened and Danny stared down at me. “Everyone decent?” I asked, not keeping my eyes off the taller boy. I didn’t want to peer behind him and be scarred for life.

“Unfortunately,” Danny joked back and stepped aside for me to enter.

I walked over to where the two boys were sitting. “Oh, thank God you’re here,” I sighed, greeting the two, taking a seat next to Scott. “Are you sure you want to play?”

Scott frowned at me and retorted, “I want a semi-freaking-normal life; you get it?”

“We do,” Stiles and I sighed at the same time.

Stiles plopped down at next to me and looked down at his best friend. “Just try not to worry about too much out there, okay? Or get too angry?”

“I got it,” Scott responded.

“Or stressed,” Stiles added.

“I got it.”

Oh, no. I could see where this was going.

“Don’t think about Allison being in the stands. Or that her father’s trying to kill you. Or that Derek’s trying to kill you. Or the girl  _he_ killed. Or that  _you_ might kill someone. If the hunter doesn’t kill you first-”

“Stiles,” I interrupted, seeing Scott’s distressed look.

“Sorry,” Stiles mumbled, realizing what he just did. “I’ll stop…”

Then I remembered something. “Oh! Speaking of-”

I was interrupted by the blow of a whistle from the coach’s office. I carefully stood up, trying not to be seen by Coach Finstock. I did  _not_ want to hear that speech from  _Independence Day_ again. I slipped out of the locker room easily before heading to the stands.

I waited on the bench, since I was unofficially the emergency medic of the team. I had taken a sports med class and was approved by the school nurse to take care of injuries that required first aid. When the players came walking out, everyone started cheering loudly.

Stiles joined me quickly, and I spotted Lydia talking to Scott. “What’s she saying to him?” I inquired, gesturing to the two.

Stiles shrugged his shoulders. “Dunno.”

The coach took a seat next to me, greeting me in the process, “Stilinski.”

“Coach,” I greeted back.

“Sindy,” Jackson gave me a nod, taking a seat on the other side of coach.

“Hey, Jackson,” I responded. I heard them talk about Jackson’s shoulder, and frowned when the coach simply gave a nod of approval when Jackson said he was going to just keep playing if his shoulder started hurting. Yeah, Jackson was a jerk, but he shouldn’t destroy his shoulder.

The game was just about to start when I felt a hand clasp around my shoulder. “Hey, kids,” Dad greeted, his head popping between Stiles and me.

“Oh, hey,” we greeted.

“So, think we’re gonna see any action tonight?” Dad asked and I took a glance out at the field, seeing Scott get into his position.

“Action?” Stiles echoed. “... Maybe…” Our dad nodded before walking away, most likely to join Melissa, who was also here to cheer on Scott.

I nudged him roughly, causing my brother to turn to look at me.  _‘What? It’s true,’_ he mouthed.

_‘You don’t need to_ say _it,’_ I mouthed back.

Once the kick off began, I watched as nobody passed the ball to Scott, and Jackson even purposely shoved him to the ground to get the ball and score a goal.

“What the…?” I mumbled.

“It’s just Jackson in his typical Jackson-assholery,” Stiles responded.

I heard some loud cheering behind us and turned back to see Lydia and Allison holding up a “WE LUV JACKSON” sign. I winced, exchanging a look with my brother.

“Brutal,” we said together. We looked out onto the field again and I noticed Scott looking in the line of direction the girls were in.

“Oh, this is not gonna be good,” Stiles commented. I let out an audible groan.  _Why_ did werewolf transformation have to be triggered by  _anger_ ?

Scott crouched over, getting ready. I saw the referee stop in front of him and ask if he was okay. Oh, God. He was  _not_ okay. Not at all. Even the player behind him backed away.

“This isn’t good…” Stiles mumbled out.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I mumbled back. “Hopefully, if it escalates to that, Derek can take him out.”

“Derek?” Stiles asked. “He’s in jail.”

I turned to look at Stiles. “Uh… no. It was determined that whoever attacked the girl was an animal, and Derek is kind of not an animal.”

“Fully,” Stiles piped.

“Shut up,” I glowered. “But yeah, he was released from jail. I gave him a ride here. Don’t ask me where he is, though. I have no idea.”

The ball escaped from both of the players’ nets and Scott lunged for it. I tensed just before he easily caught it and immediately headed towards the goal. I felt the muscles inside me coil tightly, watching him dodge every player that went after him. He launched the ball, making the score 4-5.

“YES!” I cheered, jumping to my feet.

“PASS THE BALL TO MCCALL!” I heard Finstock exclaim, with Stiles cheering right behind him. Stiles quickly sat down next to me and the players started off again.

This time, white got the ball, but Scott suddenly appeared in front of him. Scared out of his wits, the players threw the ball to Scott.

Finstock took a seat next to Stiles, leaning in towards us. “Did the  _opposing_ team just  _deliberately_ pass us the ball?”

Stiles gnawed on his glove nervously. “Yes, I believe so, Coach,” he answered.

“Interesting,” Finstock commented, just as Scott launched the ball. It actually  _ripped_ through the opponent’s net, going into the goal.

“Interesting indeed,” I mumbled. I remembered that Scott was able to hear whatever I said, so I wondered if… “Derek…?” I asked quietly. “Can you hear me?”

My phone suddenly buzzed and I dug into my pocket, pulling out my phone. It was a text from an unknown number. I opened the text and read:  _Yes, I can._

“Do I want to know how you got my number?” I inquired, arching my brow.

I watched as another text came in: _Not really._

“Was it legal?”

“Oh, then nevermind. Anyways, is… Scott alright?”

My reply came a few seconds later:  _He’s tapped into his wolf, but he’s not fully transformed yet._

“-dy!” I heard. “SINDY!” Stiles shook me so furiously I almost fell off the bench. “LOOK!”

I snapped up from my phone, eyes immediately flying to Scott. He just scored the winning goal, making our total 6-5. “Oh my  _God_ !” I exclaimed, jumping up. “We won!”

Stiles’s arms flew around me and I embraced him. We jumped around, doing our own little cheer-celebration by ourselves.

Then I noticed something. “Wai-wai-wait,” I stopped, making Stiles abruptly do the same. “Where’s Scott?” My eyes darted everywhere, trying to find the large number eleven.

“Where’s Allison?” Stiles asked back in response.

My eyes widened and my light brown met Stiles’s identical ones. “Oh shit,” we chorused before darting off to the locker room.

We all but stumbled into the dark locker room, but then stopped when we witnessed something… that shouldn’t be seen.

“I’m blind,” I slapped my hands over my eyes. “Tell me when it’s over.” I did  _not_ need to see my best friend and Allison making out.

Stiles nudged me when they broke apart. Allison smiled at us, beaming brightly. “Hi, Stiles, Sindy.”

“Hey,” we nodded as she walked past us. We went over to join Scott, who had the same goofy grin on his face.

“I kissed her,” Scott declared. He was so cute I wanted to slap the smile off his face.

“We saw,” Stiles and I said together.

“She kissed me.”

“Saw that too.”

Scott looked speechless for a second and Stiles and I exchanged looks. “Pretty good, huh?” Stiles commented.

Scott’s grin only got wider and he stuttered, “I-I-I don’t know how, but I controlled it. I can hold it back. Maybe I can do this.”

“Yeah…” I agreed. “I guess we’ll talk later then,” I said, not wanting to destroy his mood.

Scott grabbed my wrist gently. “What is it?” It seemed he recognized the look on our faces.

“You tell him,” I mumbled, grabbing Stiles. I made sure he was directly in front of me, shielding me from Scott. I didn’t want him wolfing out on me…  _especially_ since I gave him a ride to the game.

“The medical examiner looked at the other half of the body we found,” Stiles said.

Scott quirked an eyebrow. “ _And_ ?”

“Well,” Stiles shrugged. “To keep it simple: medical examiner determines killer of the girl to be animal, not human. Derek’s human, not animal. Derek not killer; Derek let out of jail. Oh, and Sindy gave him a ride to the game.”

"Are you  _kidding_ me?!” Scott angled his head to look at me. “Sindy, are you  _serious_ ?!”

“Um… I kind of don’t wanna add fuel to the fire, but did I forget to mention that the girl was Laura Hale?”

“ _Hale_ ?!” the two boys exclaimed.

“Derek’s sister…” I added weakly.

Stiles spun around and gripped my shoulders tightly. “Do you  _have_ a  _death wish_ ?! First you go  _visit_ a guy - a  _werewolf_ , no less - that  _wants_ to kill Scott! Then you  _willingly_ get in a  _car_ with him,  _alone_ ! And now you’re telling me he killed his own  **_sister_ ** ?! SINDY!”

I frowned, slapping his hands away. “He didn’t kill me and we don’t have proof he killed his sister, okay? Let off a little, Stiles.”

“Why are you even defending him? You don’t even know him,” Scott glowered at me.

"You, too,” I frowned. “Who knows, he might be a nice guy.” Stiles and Scott scoffed and I shrugged. “Yeah, maybe not. Whatever. Can we just go grab something to eat? I’m hungry.”


	5. Pack Initiation

**MONDAY  
** **JANUARY 24, 2011**

“Guys, guys, guys!” Scott urgently ran towards us. I closed the door to my car, looking at Scott strangely.

“Where’s the fire?” I inquired, and Scott frowned at me.

“This is  _serious_ ,” Scott groaned, frustrated. He ran his hands through his hair, looking completely disarrayed.

Stiles placed his hand on Scott’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“No,” Scott mumbled pathetically. “I-I had a dream last night… it was- it was going so well. Allison and I were alone and we were making out…”

I frowned, but let him continue as we walked to the school. Scott began to tell us about how he got worked up, and all but attacked Allison during his make out session with her. He had transformed and then as a result…

“So you killed her,” Stiles concluded, opening the door for us to walk through.

“I dunno,” Scott shrugged. “I just woke up. I was sweating like crazy and I couldn’t breathe. I’ve never had a dream where I woke up like that before.”

“Really?” Stiles inquired. “I have. Usually ends a little bit different.”

“Dude, that’s gross,” I frowned, giving my brother a light push. I did  _not_ need to hear it from my brother.

“I’m a teenaged guy!” Stiles refuted, as if it explained everything. Actually… it explained quite a lot, yeah.

Scott gave a small glare to Stiles. “ _A_ ) I meant I’ve never had a dream that felt that real, and  _B_ ) never get me that much detail about you in bed again.”

“Noted,” Stiles said. Please, do the same for me, too.

“So… can I just say-” I started, but was interrupted by Scott.

“No, I know. You guys think it has something to do with me going out with Allison tomorrow… like I’m going to lose control and rip her throat out.”

“No, of course not,” Stiles and I said at once. Scott gave us a pointed look and we quickly changed our answer, “Yeah. That’s totally it.”

"Hey, come on, it’s gonna be fine,” Stiles tried to reassure Scott.

“If it’s any help, I think you’re handling this quite well,” I piped.

“You know, it’s not like there’s a  _Lycanthropy for Beginners_ class you can take,” Stiles agreed.

“Well, not a class, but maybe a teacher,” Scott replied, hinting at something.

“Who, Derek?” Stiles asked. Scott nodded and my brother reached over me to slap our best friend on the head. “Are you forgetting about the part where we got him tossed in jail?”

“Yeah, I know, but… he didn’t kill Sindy last Saturday,” Scott said, looking down at me.

Stiles looked down at me and then replied, “Yeah, but that’s  _Sindy_ ! She’s my  _sister_ . She’s pure awesomeness. And hot. You can’t deny my sister’s hot.”

“Can you  _not_ ?” I frowned, looking up at my brother. It was one thing to be called attractive by someone else, but another when your  _brother_ was the one saying it. I wasn’t  _that_ pathetic… I could get guys… right…?

Scott made a face like he agreed and shrugged. “In a totally platonic way, yeah, you’re pretty attractive, Sindy.”

“What I’m trying to say is how Derek acts around Sindy will be totally different from how he’ll act around you. He could rip you to shreds!” Stiles reverted the topic back to Derek, thankfully.

“I know,” Scott sighed. “But chasing her… dragging her… it all felt so real.”

I frowned and furrowed my brows. “How real?” I asked.

“Like it actually happened,” Scott responded.

The two boys each took a door and pushed it open, allowing me to slip through easily without any effort. The scene before me shocked me so much that I stumbled when I stopped, and if it weren’t for Stiles grabbing me, I would’ve fallen over.

Oh my God.

There were three police cars surrounding a decimated school bus. The back door was dangling from one hinge, and there were blood splatters  _everywhere_ .

“I think it did,” Stiles muttered.

Scott, completely overwhelmed, pivoted and rushed back into the school. Stiles and I brisk walked after him as our friend typed away on his phone.

“She’s probably fine, Scott,” I said, keeping pace with him easily. It was a good thing I was on the cross country team.

“She’s not answering my texts!” Scott looked back at us worriedly. Stiles gave me an exasperated sigh and I mentally agreed. Since becoming a werewolf, Scott was mastering the art of being a drama queen. Maybe it came with being a werewolf. I wonder if Derek was a good drama queen.

I felt a nudge and snapped out of my thoughts. Stiles pointed at Scott.  _Right_ . Worried werewolf best friend. Scott frantically searched every face we passed, and once he couldn’t handle it anymore, he slammed himself in front of a locker.

He let out a frustrated cry, punching the locker in front of him. The locker dented heavily, so much that it fell open, dangling only from a hinge, just like the bus door.

“Crap, that’s Jackson’s locker,” I recognized. We had to get out of there before anyone saw us.

“We need to get out of here,” Stiles concluded, just as Scott bumped into Allison. He grabbed my hand and we walked away, giving the couple their privacy and to avoid anyone that saw us in front of Jackson’s locker.

_“Attention, students. This is your principal. I know you’re all wondering about the incident that occurred last night to one of our buses. While the police work to determine what happened, classes_ will _proceed as scheduled. Thank you.”_

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a suicide bomber loose in this school and classes still continued,” I grumbled. It seriously seemed like no matter what happened, classes would continue.

Stiles and I walked into our chemistry class, and I walked over to my seat on the other side of the table Stiles sat at. I gave me chemistry partner, a shy boy named Isaac, a smile before Scott walked in, a goofy grin on his face.

The bell rang and Mr. Harris began his lesson.

Part way through, Scott suddenly turned around and looked at us. “Maybe it was my blood on the door.”

“Could’ve been animal blood,” Stiles shrugged.

“Maybe you caught a rabbit or something,” I piped in. I did see a few rabbits the other day before getting into my car. It was wishful thinking, though, considering the amount of blood, but I kept it to myself.

“And did what?” Scott looked at me, confused.

“Ate it,” Stiles supplied.

“Raw?” Scott looked appalled.

“ _No_ ,” I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I motioned for Stiles to let out whatever sarcastic comment he had.

“You stopped to bake it in a little werewolf oven. I don’t know! You’re the one who can’t remember anything,” Stiles added.

“Mr. Stilinski,” Mr. Harris suddenly called out. “If that’s your idea of a hushed whisper, you might want to pull the headphones out every once in a while. I think you and Mr. McCall would benefit from a little distance, yes?”

“B-but, my sister…” Stiles tried to argue. Stiles and I  _always_ sat within a seat of each other. Even with seating charts, we were always within a seat near each other. To separate us was  _blasphemy_ .

Mr. Harris wouldn’t have it, though, and he pointed at two separate seats. “Just because you two are twins doesn’t mean you two always have to be together. Let me know if the separation anxiety gets to be too much.” Stiles let out a sarcastic laugh, gathering his books.

I frowned, propping my elbow onto the desk. I rested my chin on my palm, frowning down at the chemistry book.

“Y-you and your brother are really close, huh?” Isaac’s quiet voice asked me.

I angled my head to look at Isaac. I brushed some of my locks out of my face to get a good look at him. Even though we were partners, we hardly ever talked, because I was always talking to Stiles and Scott.

I knew Isaac was also on the lacrosse team, but didn’t play often. I’ve never had a good look at him until just now. He was tall, definitely six feet or a bit more than that. He had short, curly light brown hair and deep, ocean-blue eyes. He was actually quite handsome.

“Super close,” I nodded. “Our dad can work pretty late nights, so we’ve really got only each other most of the time.”

“That seems… nice,” Isaac commented. “I wish I had a sibling.”

I leaned in close to him. “Between you and me, though, he’s a  _bit_ overwhelming sometimes. It’s alright, though. I still love him.” Then I added as an afterthought, “Don’t tell him I said that. That’s our secret.” I winked and placed my index finger in front of my lips.

That made Isaac crack a small smile and I returned it, seeing it grace his handsome features. I concluded that this was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.

“Hey, I think they found something!” the girl that was sitting next to Scott, Harley, exclaimed.

I quickly shot up from my seat, curiosity filling my every pore. I ran over to the window, hoping to get a good look.

The paramedics were wheeling away someone… someone definitely human.

“That’s not a rabbit,” Scott whispered to Stiles and I, looking completely blanched.

All of a sudden, the person they were wheeling jumped up, making me jump in shock. Stiles grabbed me and pulled me to his chest instinctively. “O-okay…” Stiles said nervously. He backed up so we could talk to Scott. “This is good, this is good. He got up.”

“Th-that means he’s not dead,” I muttered, extracting myself from Stiles’s chest. “Dead guys can’t do that…”

“Guys…” Scott said helplessly, “I did that.”

“I need to go running again soon,” I sighed out, walking to my seat. I collapsed back into my chair, throwing myself over my desk. “This is just too much stress for me,” I mumbled to myself.

At lunchtime, even though I was planning on finding Isaac, the conversation we were having was too important to actually leave. “Not all dreams are memories,” I pointed out as we headed to an empty table.

“Then it wasn’t a dream,” Scott replied. “Something happened last night, and I can’t remember what.” He took a seat across from Stiles, and I sat next to my brother’s left.

“What makes you so sure that Derek even has all the answers?” Stiles inquired.

“Because during the full moon, he wasn’t changed. He was in total control while I was running around in the middle of the night attacking some totally innocent guy,” Scott explained.

“Why do you think he does?” Stiles asked, leaning forward.

“He was born a werewolf,” I found myself answering. “He has better control over it because he’s lived with it his whole life.”

Stiles gave me an incredulous look. “You didn’t think to share that… when did you find out?”

“Last Saturday.”

“You didn’t think to share that last Saturday?” Stiles asked. I just shrugged in response. Stiles scoffed. “ _Women_ .” I smacked him in the head for that.

“I can’t go out with Allison,” Scott declared. “I have to cancel.”

“No,” Stiles refuted. “You’re not cancelling, okay? You can’t just cancel your entire life. We’ll figure it out.”

“Figure what out?” Lydia asked, placing her lunch tray on the table as she sat down on Scott’s left. Stiles immediately tensed, straightening his back and all.

“Just some homework,” I lied easily.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded in agreement. He leaned over the table and so did I. “Why’s she sitting with us?” he asked so quietly it was almost inaudible.

Hayley suddenly took a seat on my other side and Greenberg sat down at the head of the table. Danny took the empty seat next to Stiles and Allison sat down on Scott’s other side.

“What the hell…?” I mumbled, confused.

People did  _not_ sit with Stiles, Scott, and me. We were pretty much the outcasts of the school, despite the fact that I had some popularity because of my being in the varsity cross country team in freshmen year. They just didn’t want to associate with asthmatic Scott McCall and ADHD Stiles Stilinski.

“Get up,” Jackson suddenly said, joining our table.

“How come you never ask Danny to get up?” Greenberg protested.

“Because I don’t stare at his girlfriend’s coin slot,” Danny replied simply. I let out a laugh and the guy tossed me a grin. Greenberg got up, allowing Jackson to take a seat at the head of the table. “So I hear they’re saying it’s some type of animal attack. Probably a cougar?”

“I heard mountain lion,” Jackson interjected.

“A cougar  _is_ a mountain lion,” I explained the same time Lydia did.

However, while I was sure, Lydia added, “Isn’t it?” in a confused tone.

“Who cares?” Jackson retorted. “The guy was probably some homeless tweaker who’s gonna die anyway.”

Stiles nudged me first before saying, “Actually, I just found out who it is. Check it out.” He leaned forward, placing the phone in the center for us to watch.

_“The Sheriff’s department won’t speculate on details of the incident, but confirmed the victim, Garrison Meyers, did survive the attack. Meyers was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition.”_

“I know this guy!” Scott recognized.

“You do?” Allison inquired.

“Yeah,” Scott nodded. “When I used to take the bus back when I lived with my dad. He was the driver.” Scott looked at Stiles and me worriedly. I returned the look with a frown.

“Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please?” Lydia commented, uninterested. “Like, oh, where are we going tomorrow night?” She looked at Allison, “You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow night, right?”

I exchanged an incredulous look with Stiles as Allison sputtered out an excuse. So much for date night.

“Well, I am not sitting home again watching lacrosse videos, so if the four of us are hanging out, we are doing something fun,” Lydia said. She looked at me and asked, “Are you and Stiles coming, too?”

“I’m actually probably going to hit the gym tomorrow,” I replied. “I haven’t run in quite a while, and I better get into shape.”

“Season doesn’t start for another seven months,” Danny pointed out.

I threw him a smile. “And  _that_ , Danny, is the reason why you can’t beat me in a race.” In response to that, the lacrosse goalie threw me a light glare that soon dissipated to a smile.

“W-wait,” Scott interrupted. “Hanging out? Like, the four of us? Do you wanna hang out? Like, us and them?” He looked at Allison, confused.

“Yeah,” Allison replied. “I guess. Sounds fun.”

_Aaannnddd_ back to wanting to slap myself in the face.

“You know what else sounds fun?” Jackson asked. He picked up his fork. “Stabbing myself in the face with this fork.”  _Yeesh_ , I can feel the love.

Stiles leaned in to whisper, “I’ll gladly do it to his face.” I snorted in amusement.

“How about bowling?” Lydia suggested. “You love bowling.” She looked at her boyfriend.

“Yeah, with  _actual_ competition,” Jackson retorted.

Allison took that as a challenge. “How do you know we’re not actual competition? You can bowl, right?”

Scott replied, “Sort of.”

Jackson taunted, “Is it sort of, or yes?”

“Yes,” Scott said firmly. “In fact, I’m a great bowler.”

I banged my head on the table, making everyone look at me. “Sorry,” I apologized. “Just remembered I forgot to turn in a book to the library.” I stood up quickly. I could not  _handle_ this stupidity any longer.

“I’m coming with you,” Stiles said, standing up as well.

“Me too!” Scott piped in. “I’ll catch you later,” he directed to Allison.

The three of us left the cafeteria, and as soon as the doors were closed, Stiles attacked Scott. “You’re a  _terrible_ bowler!”

“I know!” Stiles responded. “I’m such an idiot!”

“You said it, not me,” I shrugged.

“ _God_ , it was like watching a car wreck. I mean, first it turned into the whole group date thing. And then out of nowhere comes that phrase.”

“‘Hang out’,” Scott scoffed.

“You don’t hang out with hot girls, okay?” Stiles retorted. “Unless it’s you, Sindy,” he directed to me. Don’t worry, I wasn’t hurt. “It’s like death,” he continued. “Once it’s hanging out, you might as well be her gay best friend. You and Danny can start hanging out.”

“How is this happening? I either killed a guy or I didn’t,” Scott exclaimed.

“I don’t think Danny likes me very much… which is weird, ‘cause he likes Sindy just fine.”

“I ask Allison on a date, and now we’re hanging out.”

“Am I not attractive to gay guys?”

“I make first line, and the team captain wants to destroy me, and now-” Scott checked his watch. “Now I’m gonna be late for work.

“Wait, Scott!” Stiles called. “You didn’t - am I attractive to gay guys?!”

Ladies and gentlemen, a typical day with my brother and best friend.

Stiles looked down at me. He opened his mouth but I held up a hand. “I am not answering your question,” I interrupted before walking away. I needed to get to work, too.

“I wasn’t gonna ask you anyway!” Stiles retorted, but we all know it was a lie. He was so gonna ask me.

I was at the hospital within half an hour. Melissa handed me a set of files. “There isn’t much work to be done today. Just files these and you’re actually done for today.”

“You serious?” I asked.

Melissa nodded. “You’ll still be paid the amount of hours rounded up, too. I’m assuming you’ll wanna get in and get out, yeah?”

I beamed brightly at Melissa, taking the files. I shelved the files, which actually took a lot longer than I expected. I finished in about two and a half hours. Holy crap. Let me just say, before these things are files,  _everything_ is a mess.

I walked out of the filing room, almost bumping into Scott. “Whoa!” I exclaimed, and Scott quickly caught me.

“Sindy!” Scott exclaimed. “Sorry!” Then he looked thoughtful and asked, “... Are you busy?”

I blinked. “That depends… why?”

“I need you to give me a ride to Derek’s,” Scott told me.

I arched a brow, but nodded, nonetheless. “Let me just sign out, then we can go.” I walked behind the desk, getting the nurse there to sign the paper that I was leaving and walked out with Scott. “You wanna head to your place to drop off your bike first?”

Scott nodded, taking off the wheels of his bike. He threw the wheels in my trunk, making sure they fit before throwing in the rest of the bike in the trunk. It was a tight fit, but it worked out, after moving the things I had in my trunk to the back seat.

On the way to Derek’s, we passed by a patrol car, which thankfully didn’t stop us. I pulled to a stop in front of the burnt Hale house and Scott and I left the car.

Scott looked up at the house and said, “I know you can hear me. I need your help.”

“Can’t we just walk to the front of the house?” I asked, walking forward. Just as we got onto the porch, the front door opened.

Derek stepped out of the house, his face mostly clean-shaven, with a light five o’clock shadow. I felt saddened at that, but he still looked handsome. Derek looked at me with an unreadable expression before turning to Scott with an annoyed one.

“Okay. I know I was part of you getting arrested and that we basically announced you being here to the hunters. I also don't know what happened to your sister,” Scott started. I wanted to slap my face. Did he  _really_ have to mention Laura? “But I think I did something last night. I had a dream about… someone, but someone else got hurt. And it turns out that part of the dream might have actually happened.”

“You think you attacked the driver?” Derek spoke up for the first time. After not hearing his voice for a while, my heart involuntary skipped a beat. Both werewolves turned to me and I flushed.  _Damn sensitive hearing_ .

Scott turned back to Derek. “Did you see what I did last night?”

“No,” Derek replied.

"Can you at least tell me the truth? Am I gonna hurt someone?”

“Yes.”

“Could I kill someone?”

“Yes.”

“ _Am_ I gonna kill someone?”

“Probably.”

I couldn’t help it. I snorted, unable to hold my laughter. The two turned to me again and I looked at them sheepishly. “Sorry. It’s just… Derek’s just so blunt.” Derek gave me a smirk and I chuckled a little bit more before clearing my throat.

“Look, I can show you how to remember. I can show you how to control the shift, even on a full moon. But it’s not gonna come for free,” Derek named his price.

“What do you want?” Scott asked wearily.

“You’ll find out,” Derek revealed cryptically. “But for now, I’m gonna give you what you want. Go back to the bus. Go inside. See it, feel it. Let your senses - your sight, smell, touch - let them remember for you.”

“That’s it?” Scott asked incredulously. “Just-just go back?”

“Do you want to know what happened?” Derek retorted.

“I just want to know if I hurt him,” Scott said, but I knew it wasn’t that.

“No, you don’t,” Derek wasn’t fooled either. “You want to know if you’ll hurt her.”

Scott let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. “That’s really it?”

“That’s really it,” Derek confirmed, nodding. Scott gave a reluctant nod before walking off, heading back to my car.  Derek spared a glance at me and said, “If you know what’s good for you, you should stop butting in.”

“He’s my best friend,” I shrugged. “I would die for him.”

Derek’s eyes flashed an electric blue before fading to his usual pale green. “And that’s what you’ll be doing if you keep this up,” he glowered.

I, however, wasn’t deterred and began to walk away, heading back into my car. I closed the door and took a glance up. Derek was still standing on his porch, looking at me through my windshield.

“Call Stiles,” I told him. “We’ll meet him at the school.” I drove to the school, and as I drove, the sun set behind me. By the time I arrived at the school, it the sun was already fully set and the skies were black.

Stiles pulled up next to me and Scott and I climbed out of my car. Instead of walking away with Scott and Stiles though, I just stood against my car door, leaning against it.

“Hey, no, just me,” Scott protested. “Someone needs to keep watch.”

“That’s what Sindy’s for,” Stiles retorted.

“But there are two cars,” Scott replied.

“Okay,” Stiles sighed, getting off the fence. “Why’s it starting to feel like you’re Batman and I’m Robin? I don’t want to be Robin all the time.”

“Robin’s my favorite, though,” I protested. Dick Grayson was the best. “And if you’re Robin, then that means I should be Batgirl.”

“Point beside, I don’t want to be Robin all the time!” Stiles said.

Scott looked at us disbelievingly. “Nobody’s Batman and Robin and Batgirl any of the time.”

That just made Stiles sad. “Not even some of the time?”

“Just. Stay.  _Here_ ,” Scott ordered.

“Oh  _my **God**_ !” Stiles huffed. He gave in, walking back to where I stood

I watched Scott climb the fence, walking over to the bus that was attacked. It started to get chilly, so I simply just climbed into my car. A few seconds later, my phone rang and I picked up, putting it on speaker.

“Yeah?”

_“This is so boring,”_ Stiles complained. I turned my head to look at him. He was back in his jeep, leaning over the steering wheel with his phone dangling in his hand.

“Well, keeping watch isn’t exactly scaling walls and climbing fences, so… yeah,” I replied. “It’s pretty boring.” Something then caught my eye and I said. “Uh oh.”

_“What is it?”_

“Patrol,” I responded before pressing down on my horn. I honked for Scott, and Stiles did the same. A few seconds later, Scott came running out of the bus. I watched with amazement as he jumped off a car, doing a backflip over the fence. Oh, man, being a werewolf’s cool… once you got past the whole out-of-control thing.

Scott made a dash towards Stiles’s jeep, so I backed out quickly, leading the way out.

_“GO, GO!”_ I heard Scott yell over the phone.

_“Did it work? Did you remember?”_ Stiles asked.

_“Yeah,”_ Scott panted. _“Can you hear me, Sindy?”_

“Loud and clear, Scotty,” I replied.

_“So I was there last night,”_ our best friend informed us.  _“And the blood… a lot of it was mine.”_

“So… did you attack him?” I inquired, making a left into the street.

_“No. I saw glowing eyes in the bus, but they weren’t mind. It was Derek.”_

“Hey, now, don’t jump to conclusions,” I protested, but they were ignored as Stiles brought up the bus driver.

_“I think I was actually trying to protect him,”_ Scott admitted.

_“Wait, why would Derek help you remember that he attacked the driver?”_

“That’s what I don’t get,” I piped in. “If you guys are still listening to me and whatnot.”

_“We still are. You’re stupid for thinking Derek’s not behind it,”_ Stiles replied. I frowned but shrugged, brushing it off. Typical Stiles.  _“It’s got to be a pack thing.”_

_“What do you mean?”_ Scott was confused.

_“Like an initiation. You do the kill together,”_ Stiles explained.

_“Because ripping someone’s throat out is a real bonding experience?”_ Scott asked. I could hear the roll of his eyes.

_“Yeah, but you didn’t do it, which means you’re not a killer. It also means that-”_

_“I can go out with Allison,”_ Scott sighed dreamily.

I slapped my face. No one was around to judge me. “I think Stiles meant to say that you weren’t gonna kill us, Scott.”

_“Oh, yeah… that too.”_

Scott’s Hormones: 50  
Scott’s Common Sense: 0


	6. Hale History

**TUESDAY  
** **JANUARY 25, 2011**

“You got your pepper spray, right?” Stiles asked, leaning against a nearby wall.

I threw Stiles a pointed look. “Yes, Stiles,” I rolled my eyes. “I’m just running to the hospital.”

“And that’s like, ten miles away,” Stiles retorted. “I don’t even know how you forgot your phone there. What kind of teenager forgets her phone?”

“Shut up,” I frowned, making sure my shoelaces were tightened properly. I stood up and began to stretch properly. “Just call me if you need anything. I’ll probably have my phone in about an hour.”

I left the house, starting my trek to the hospital. I started my running playlist, and “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor filled my ears. My feet moved to the rhythm of the music, finding an easy pace to move at.

I could feel the sweat building as I ran, and feeling thirsty, I spotted a gas station. From the looks of it, I was probably three miles away from the hospital, but still had a bit to go. I noticed it was now dark, and trekked into the station.

The cashier didn’t even look up from his magazine as I went to the back, searching for a bottle of water. My breath had already settled, and now I could feel the sweat just making my clothes stick to my skin.  _Ugh_ .

I spotted a black Camaro pull up to the empty station, and a familiar werewolf climb out of the car. I was about to call him out as he placed the nozzle into his tank, but two SUVs pulling up on either ends of Derek’s car made me stop.

Allison’s dad climbed out of the red one while two other guys got out of the white one. I purchased my water bottle and stood outside, hoping to stay out of sight, but be able to hear what was going on.

I stayed a far distance away, not trusting myself to get any closer without giving myself away. I could hear Allison’s dad say something, but I was too far away to hear.  _Dammit_ .

I could see Allison’s dad clean Derek’s windshield. I strained my ears to hear. It was quiet, so if I  _really_ focused, I could hear.

“-family,” Allison’s dad said. “But you don’t have much of that these days, do you?”

I knew Derek’s family had perished in the Hale House Fire almost a decade ago, and from the way he acted, it was a sore topic for him. I saw Derek’s jaws were clenched and my gaze trailed down to see his hands were fisted at his sides.

Derek took a deep breath though, and I saw the tension roll of his body. “There we go,” Allison’s dad said, putting away the windshield cleaner. “You can actually look through your windshield now. See how that makes everything so much clearer?”

He began to walk away, but then Derek provoked him, “You forgot to check the oil.”

That comment just made me want to slap him. Werewolf or not, he deserved it.  _Why_ would he purposely provoke a  _Hunter_ ?!

“Check the man’s oil,” Allison’s dad spoke.

A hunter walked forward, before hitting the butt of his gun through the window of the driver’s side of Derek’s car. “Looks good to me,” he reported.

“Drive safely,” Allison’s dad bade.

I quickly hid behind a trashcan before he could see me. When the two cars were gone, I leapt up. “What the hell were you thinking?!” I exclaimed, storming over to Derek. He didn’t even look surprised that I was there. “‘ _You forgot to check the oil,’_ ” I mocked. “Do you  _want_ to get killed?!”

Derek looked down at me, exasperated. “What the hell are you even doing here?” His eyes scanned down my body, up to my face, down my body again, before landing on my face.

“I was running to the hospital. I stopped here to get a drink,” I explained.

“Season doesn’t start for another half year,” Derek told me bluntly.

“I’m well aware of that,” I replied. “It doesn’t hurt to get into shape right now, though. Anyway, do you  _have_ a death wish?”

Derek glowered at me. “It’s none of your business.” He walked to the driver’s door and opened it. He wiped away the broken shards of glass, throwing them onto the floor.

He then climbed into his car and started the engine. I waited for him to peel out of the gas station, but was surprised when the passenger window rolled down. I leaned down, looking into the car. Derek’s annoyed gaze looked back at me. “Well, are you getting in or not?”

“You’re giving me a ride?”

He threw me a look, saying my question was a stupid question without words. … Offering a ride…. yeah. I climbed into the car, deciding that seven miles was enough for today. I was probably going to feel it a little bit tomorrow.

“Do you know what happened to Garrison Meyers?” I asked curiously. “A werewolf attacked him, right?”

I saw Derek’s hands clench the steering wheel tightly before releasing his tight grip. “Yeah. The Alpha did it.”

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. “The Alpha? There’s another werewolf?”

“Not just any werewolf,” Derek replied simply. “An alpha. The strongest of werewolves. Werewolves are divided into three categories: alpha, beta, and omega.”

“The first, second, and the last letters,” I recognized the Greek terms.

Derek nodded. “It’s what it means. Alphas are at the top, betas are right behind, and omegas lag behind. Most werewolves are betas, like Scott and I. Omegas are lone werewolves with no packs, or the outcasts of a pack. Alphas are the leaders.”

“And that alpha is the one who attacked Mr. Meyers…” I mumbled. Then I realized something, “It’s also the one who attacked your sister.”

Derek nodded stiffly. “My sister and I lived in New York. We moved there shortly after the fire. It was just her and I. One day, she left to go investigate something. She called everyday, so when she didn’t call for a few weeks, I knew something was wrong. I came back searching for her, only to find one half of her, and the other half with the police.”

Before I could reply, Derek came to a stop. I looked out the window and realized we were at the hospital. I frowned. I still had so many questions. I got out of the car, but was surprised to see Derek also doing the same thing.

“What room is Meyers in?” Derek asked me.

“One-thirty-seven,” I replied easily. “His room is strictly off-limits though.” Derek gave me a pointed look. “You’re still going to go in there, aren’t you?”

He gave me a  _‘What do you think?’_ look.

“Should I keep watch?”

“Do what you want,” Derek replied before walking in to the hospital by himself.

I jogged after him, but as soon as I entered the hospital, I headed to the front desk. The nurse behind there smiled kindly and simply handed my phone. I gave her a quick thanks before jogging down the hall to where Meyers was being held.

Derek had left the door open and I frowned, but entered, closing the door behind me.

“Open your eyes,” I heard Derek order. For a few seconds, there was no sound except for the steady beeping of Meyers’s heart monitor. “Open your eyes,” Derek ordered again, this time slightly more impatient.

To my astonishment, Meyers’s eyes opened. The older man simply stared at the ceiling though, until Derek gave his next command, “Look at me.” Slowly, Meyers angled his neck so he could look at the werewolf. “What do you remember?”

I saw the recognition flash in Meyers’s eyes before he rasped out, “Hale.”

Confusion spread over Derek’s face. “How do you know my name?”

Instead of replying, Meyers just swallowed deeply before saying, “I’m sorry.” What was he apologizing for?

Derek was equally confused, and more disturbed, and he persisted, “How do you know me?”

“I’m sorry,” Meyers repeated in a faint whisper. He leaned back, staring up at the ceiling blankly.

I heard the heart monitor begin to slow down. “Derek,” I said softly, stepping forward. “I-I don’t think he can answer any of your questions.”

Derek whirled around to me, and I could see he was still disturbed. He stormed out of the room, and I followed him, closing the door behind me. If I had stayed another second, I would’ve heard Meyers’s heart monitor flatline.

“Derek!” I exclaimed, jogging after the briskly walking man. “Derek, wait up!”

He, of course, didn’t. He climbed into his car, but I was glad he didn’t take off. I climbed into the passenger seat just in time to hear him angrily hit his steering wheel. I reached forward, and rested my hand on his shoulder. He tensed, but soon allowed him to relax.

“My sister was the only family I had left,” Derek said quietly. “Besides my uncle, who’s in a complete catatonic state.”

I leaned over the console, reaching to wrap my arms around him. For a while, he didn’t do anything, and I just let him be. I could feel his body heat radiating from him and I rested my head on his shoulder.

I didn’t know how Derek was completely, but I understood the feeling of just needing someone. To me, when I was down, all someone had to do was just stay there with me, no matter how long, to reassure me. I didn’t need words, because I believed they could show everything they needed through their actions.

It wasn’t until Derek shifted slightly in his seat, did I realize we had sat there for a good ten minutes. I could feel Derek’s and my heavy breathing, and I drew myself closer to him. He leaned down, and my eyelids got heavy as the distance between us got shorter and shorter.

A ringing snapped my out of my daze, though, and I jumped at attention. I scrambled away from the center console and Derek looked equally shocked, backing away from me, albeit a lot more calmer than I.

I vaguely heard the car engine start before I gripped my phone, looking down at who was calling:  _Stiles Stilinski_ .

“Hello?” I squeaked out. I cleared my throat. “Hello?” I repeated.

_“What the hell, are you_ that _out of shape?”_ Stiles asked instead.  _“Your breath is all shaky.”_

“ _No_ !” I huffed. “What is it, Stiles? I’m still alive, if that’s what you need to know.”

_“Actually, I was calling to tell you that Dad just got called to the hospital. Garrison Meyers just succumbed to his wounds,”_ Stiles informed me.

I almost dropped my phone in shock. “Wh-what?”

_“Yeah,”_ Stiles replied, and I knew him so well that I knew he was nodding.  _“I’m on my way to Scott’s to tell him. You need a ride?”_

“I’m good,” I responded. “You can go ahead and tell Scott yourself. I’ll be home a bit later.”

_“Suit yourself, then,”_ Stiles said.  _“If you change your mind, just call me. Bye, Sindy.”_

“Bye, Stiles,” I returned before hanging up. I turned to Derek, who was now focused on the road. “Do you… think you can give me a ride home?”

“Sure, but after I head home first,” Derek replied. “There’s something I want to show you.”

Involuntarily, my heart sped up at his words. He had something he  _wanted_ to share with me. Not  _needed_ , but on his own free will. A smirk appeared on Derek’s face that didn’t escape my notice and I blushed.

He drove down the dark road of the woods, before pulling to a stop at the old burned Hale House. I got out of the car, and closed the door behind me. Derek walked to the front of the house, and I followed after him.

The door creaked open as he pushed it open, allowing him to step inside. The moonlight in the night sky filled the house, sustaining it with a minimal, but enough, amount of light.

It was the first time I had actually stepped into the house, and I realized just how run down this place really was.

“How well do you know the Argents?” Derek asked suddenly.

I snapped at attention and replied, “Not really well… Allison’s a nice girl, though…”

Derek scoffed. “ _Nice_ ?” he spat the word. “That word doesn’t go hand-in-hand with an Argent. They’re supposed to follow a code, but obviously, they didn’t.” He gestured around the remains. He walked up the stairs and I followed him.

“Wh-what do you mean?” I inquired curiously. I didn’t want to push too much, and hoped Derek wasn’t going to kill me. I could only trust him from now on.

“Six years ago, I fell in love with a woman,” Derek admitted to me quietly. The news bothered me, but when he spoke again, I felt a relief. “Or at least, I  _thought_ I was in love. It was like a whirlwind. She appeared out of nowhere. She was beautiful, sexy, and older. Now that I thought about it, what did a twenty-two-year-old woman want with a sixteen-year-old  _boy_ ?

“It turns out, she was just using me. She used to me to get information on my family… to start a fire that would kill everyone… My sister and I were at school that day, so we were unscathed. Everyone but one person died, but that one person, my uncle, Peter, is now in a comatose state. He’s no longer a werewolf, and barely even a human.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked quietly.

Derek stopped walking, before turning around to look at me. The moonlight shone through a crack in one of the windows, covering half his face in a white light. He took a few, slow steps towards me.

His right hand went up to cup my face. The pad of his thumb stroked my cheek softly. I could feel the semi-rough pad of his finger against my smooth cheek, and leaned into it. I opened my eyes, and his pale green ones stared down at me.

“I told myself I would never let anyone in again…” Derek said to me quietly. “Only my sister. If I trusted someone else, it could end in another tragedy…”

I kept quiet, waiting for him to elaborate.

“But you’re slowly breaking down these walls I’ve built up, and it pisses me off. You’re nothing but a little, sixteen-year-old girl. And… I want to know… just  _why_ I feel like I can trust you…”

“Because you can…” I replied almost breathlessly. My heart beat was accelerating by the minute, causing it was getting harder to breathe.

Derek suddenly pulled away, leaving me confused. He shuffled me behind him, and a few seconds later, I heard the front door slam open.

“ _Derek_ !” came Scott’s angry voice. “I know you’re here! I know what you did!”

An annoyed look flashed across Derek’s face. “I didn’t do anything,” Derek replied, his voice echoing throughout the room.  _Whoa_ . That was cool.

I could hear Scott’s footsteps heading up the stairs. “You  _killed_ him!” he blamed.

“He  _died_ ,” Derek corrected.

The stairs creaked as Scott continued to walk up. “Like your sister died?”

Derek scowled. “My sister was missing. I came here looking for her.”

“You found her,” Scott replied.

“I found her in pieces!” Derek snapped. I saw his eyes flash an electric blue before reverting back to his usual green. “Being used as bait to catch me!”

“I think you killed them both,” Scott accused, and I just wanted to slap some sense into him. Best friend or not, he was being ridiculous. “I’m gonna tell everyone, starting with the sheriff.” He got to the top of the staircase, looking to the left.

Derek stepped forward, grabbing Scott roughly. He all but launched him down the stairs, and if I didn’t know that wouldn’t hurt my best friend much, I would’ve yelled at Derek, werewolf or not.

Scott tumbled down the staircase and Derek launched himself down to the first floor. I got out from where I was, and ran to the top of the staircase, just in time to see a fully transformed Scott throw Derek through the wall.

“Oh, my God, Scott!” I cried out in shock. I ran down the stairs, pushing Scott aside. I stepped through the hole in the wall and saw Derek brushing the dirt off his leather jacket. I paused. Derek gave me a pointed look. “Werewolf. Right…” I noted.

I took a step to the side. “That was cute,” Derek commented casually, taking off his leather jacket. He tossed it in my direction and ordered me, “You stay out of the way.” I nodded dully and watched as he moved his neck a couple of times, and I could  _hear_ his bones rearranging themselves.

Derek let out a low growl, and for the first time, I saw him transformed. He let out another growl, his eyes flashing a bright blue.

Scott angrily stepped through the hole, and the two stared down at each other, before Scott threw himself at Derek.

Derek, however, easily grabbed Scott, and threw him against the wall, pinning him there a couple of times before throwing Scott aside. Scott rolled over the pool table before stumbling to the ground, but he quickly got back up.

Scott threw a punch at Derek, but it didn’t even faze him and the older werewolf threw a punch right back at him, knocking the younger one to the ground.

Scott used the pool table to support himself, and glared at Derek. Derek let out another growl, before running forward. He pushed himself off the pool table with his hands, and kicked Scott right in the chest, causing my best friend to fly back.

_Impressive_ .

Derek went in for another kick, but Scott moved out of the way, so Derek ended up doing a backflip against the wall. Scott hit Derek with an oar, causing the latter to fall to the ground. Scott went in for another hit, but Derek rolled out of the way, getting up quickly and knocking Scott off his feet.

I winced when I watched Derek grab Scott by the neck, pulling him up before slamming him to the ground multiple times. While Scott was still down, Derek gave him a kick, causing him to fly over a crate. Scott was quick to recover and went to launch himself at Derek again, but Derek cut him down with his claws.

Scott let out pained pants, and they both reverted back to their human forms. I went over to Scott, and went to look at his injury. It was bleeding, but not too badly.

“I didn’t kill him,” Derek said. “Neither of us did. It’s not your fault, and it’s not mine.”

“ _This_ ?!” Scott roared angrily. I stumbled back in shock when Scott almost pushed me away. Thankfully, there was a couch to catch me. “This is all your fault! You ruined my life!”

Derek’s eyes flew to me and after seeing I was okay, he turned his attention back to Scott. “No, I  _didn’t_ .”

“You’re the one who bit me,” Scott accused.

“No, I’m not,” Derek replied firmly.

Scott blinked in confusion. “ _What_ ?!”

“I’m not the one that bit you,” Derek clarified.

Scott touched his wounds and he took heavy breaths, stumbling down onto the couch next to me. “There’s another,” he realized.

“It’s called an Alpha,” Derek supplied. “It’s the most dangerous of our kind. You and I, we’re betas. This thing is more powerful, more animal than either of us. My sister came here looking for him. Now I’m trying to find him, but I don’t think I can do it without you.”

“Why me?” Scott asked.

“Because he’s the one that bit you,” Derek replied. “You’re part of his pack. It’s you, Scott. You’re the one he wants.”

Scott was silent for a few moments, before looking up. “He’s after me,” Scott said. “Bu-but why?”

“I don’t know,” Derek said simply. He looked up at the sky and declared, “It’s late. Go home. Sleep it off.”

Scott nodded dully before turning to me. It was only then did he fully register that I was here. “Sindy… what are you doing here?” he asked suspiciously.

“I forgot my phone at the hospital earlier today,” I explained. “So I decided to run there. Ran into Derek on the way to the hospital, Derek gave me a ride, and now I’m here.” I held up my phone defensively. “Surely Stiles told you.”

“He said you ran to the hospital,” Scott told me. “But he didn’t tell me you ran into Derek.”

“That’s because I didn’t tell him,” I shrugged.

“Sindy!” Scott turned to me, huffing.

“Don’t you get angry at me!” I snapped at him. “I still haven’t even mentioned how you almost pushed me to the ground in your damn werewolf-rage!”

“I- I did?” Scott stuttered.

“Yes,” I huffed. “But it’s alright. No harm, no foul.”

“It’s not,” Derek refuted quickly. Both Scott and I snapped to him, but Derek kept his eyes focused on Scott. “You need to learn to control your anger. You’re lucky this time you didn’t snap at Sindy and kill her. If you had any thought of turning to her, I would’ve taken you down in a second. If you don’t learn to control your wolf, you’ll end up killing Sindy, her idiotic brother of hers, and everyone else you care about.”

“H-how do I control it?” Scott asked quietly.

“You leave that to me,” Derek replied. “Right now, go home, Scott.” Scott nodded, gave me a hug, and left after giving Derek one last warning look.

I looked at Derek’s sweaty t-shirt and commented, “You should probably change.” Derek gave me a pointed look but walked out of the room, nonetheless. I followed him up the stairs, waiting for him to actually get his jacket, which I was still holding.

On the way up, my eyes widened as Derek suddenly pulled off his shirt. I swallowed thickly, seeing his strong, smooth-looking back. In between his shoulder blades sat a tattoo, a spiral triskele.

His back was glistening with sweat, which was further emphasized with the moonlight outside. “Wh-” I started, but it came out as a squeak. I heard Derek’s low chuckle and embarrassed, I cleared my throat. “What does your tattoo mean…?”

“Are you aware of a triple spiral?” Derek asked instead.

“Uh huh,” I acknowledged. “It means different things for different people, which is why I’m asking.”

“To me, it signifies Alpha, Beta, and Omega,” Derek informed me, turning down the hallway. “It shows that we can all rise and we can all fall. A Beta can rise to be an Alpha, or fall to an Omega. An Alpha can fall to a Beta or an Omega. An Omega can rise to a Beta, or even an Alpha.”

“I-I see…” I choked out, now distracted by a lone drop of sweat. It slid down from the back of his neck, between his shoulder blades, and fading into the edge of his pants.

"You do realize I can feel what you’re feeling, right?” Derek inquired, a tone of amusement in his voice.

Blood rushed all over my body, and I couldn’t think clearly. What the hell… this never happened to me… Derek entered a room that was rather clean compared to the house. Before I could even register what was happening, he had both his arms on either side of my head, and he was leaning down over me.

My breath got caught again and my lips felt extremely dry. I licked my lips to keep them moist, and Derek’s eyes darted down before going back to my eyes.

“Wh- what am I feeling, then?” I boldly asked.

Derek smirked, and my chest cavity was just threatening to burst. He just looked so  _dangerous_ , but  _alluring_ . He leaned down, and said so quietly, I had to strain to hear it, “You want me.”

He leaned down, closing the gap between us. Now those people saying your breath being taken away was all false?  _So_ not true. Derek literally took my breath away, as he swallowed my gasp.

His lips, soft yet firm, pressed against mine gently but powerfully. His forearms rested against the wall on either side of my head while he leaned down. My hands shot up, wrapping around his neck, keeping him close to me.

I didn’t know what to do exactly, so I let Derek take the lead. At my submission, a low growl erupted from the back of Derek’s throat. My head pulsed from the lack of oxygen, but I couldn’t really bring myself to care.

Apparently, Derek could feel it, though, and he pulled away from me. I panted heavily, the air a major relief to my lungs. Derek’s rough breaths evened out faster than mine and he waited for me to catch my breath.

“W- wow…” I sighed out. Derek simply smirked, turned around, and went to a drawer. He pulled out a black shirt and threw it on. He picked up the leather jacket off the floor, which I had dropped when I threw my arms around him.

He slipped it on easily and said, “C’mon. I’m taking you home.”

I followed him down the stairs, to the car. I got in the seat quietly and Derek started the engine, driving me home. It didn’t take him long to pull up in front of my driveway.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said, smiling at Derek.

He nodded. “Anytime,” he replied.

I opened the door, and suddenly remembered something. “Oh! Do you mind waiting a couple minutes? I still have your jacket from the other night.”

Derek shook his head. “Keep it. Black leather looks good on you.” He threw me a smirk and blood filled my cheeks again.  _Dammit_ .

“Ah, well, uh, bu-” I sputtered out. “Bye!” I said quickly, not knowing what else to say. I closed the door quickly behind me and jogged to the front door. I spared Derek one quick glance, but, since his windshield was tinted, I couldn’t see him. I didn’t doubt that he was looking at me though, so I gave him a wave before entering my house, locking the door behind me.

I all but jogged up the stairs, heading straight to my room. Before I could close the door, it was stopped by a hand. I backed up, letting Stiles enter my room.

“W-was that  _Derek Hale_ ?!” Stiles demanded as I threw myself on my bed.

I angled my head, looking at my brother. “Yeah,” I replied. “Why?”

“What were you doing with  _him_ ?” Stiles pushed, taking a seat at my desk. “Scott called me and said you were with him, but I thought… I thought it was a joke or something.”

I blushed, remembering the kiss Derek and I shared.

Stiles let out a groan. “No,” he cried dreadfully. “No, no,  _no_ !  _Please_ don’t tell me you kissed the guy or something!”

I frowned. “So what if I did?” I challenged. “It’s none of your business.”

Stiles frowned. “Does he know he was your first?” Stiles’s brows furrowed ambivalently. He was always pushing me to try dating, much to Dad’s chagrin, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t liking the fact that my first  _real_ attraction was to an older werewolf.

I shook my head. “No. It’s not like he needs to. Nothing’s going to happen.” I spared a glance at the clock, and was as glad as ever that Dad worked late nights. It was eleven o’clock. I yawned, and threw myself back onto the bed. “I’m gonna go to bed. Close the door on your way out.”

I reluctantly climbed out of bed to get ready for bed. I vaguely heard Stiles close the door behind him, and when I went to close my window, I spotted Derek’s Camaro just barely pulling out of my driveway.


	7. Wolfsbane Bullet

**FRIDAY  
** **JANUARY 28, 2011**

I let out a heavy sigh, fixing the bag on my shoulder. I spun the combination of my lock before opening my locker. I slipped my textbooks back into their places before grabbing my math book.

I closed my locker before walking down the hallway, turning down the corner. I pursed my lips and frowned, remembering what Scott had told us about seeing Allison’s dad with a woman last night. Scott was with Derek last night, trying to track down the Alpha, but they quickly lost its tracks, so Scott went home.

My frown deepened as I realized that I hadn’t seen Derek since Tuesday night, right after he drove me home after fighting Scott.

I turned down the corner just in time to hear a small slam, making my head shoot up from my thoughts. My eyes widened as I spotted someone, decked in black, pinning Jackson to the lockers.

Seeing the black jacket, I recognized who it was immediately. “Derek?” I asked quietly, so low I barely heard myself. He was looking down at this hands, for what, I couldn’t tell because I was too far away.

That seemed to snap the werewolf out of whatever daze he had. He strode towards me quickly, grabbing my wrist tightly and pulling me away. My eyes widened when he pinned me between the wall and his body. I felt his harsh, deep breaths hit the top of my head, blowing some of my strands.

The heat rose to my face, and I stuttered out, “Uh-h-ma-guh-wh…” I swallowed thickly before asking, “Wh-what are you doing here?”

Derek’s panting didn’t cease as he struggled out, “Where’s Scott?”

“Still in Spanish with Stiles…” I mumbled out. I looked up and saw his angular jaw. It was a lot paler than usual, and since he was cleanly shaven, I could see the sweat beading down his cheeks to his chin. I watched as a drop fell from his chin, falling to the ground.

Immediately, I straightened. “You okay?”

“I…” Derek panted out, “I need to see him.”

The bell suddenly rang, and my knees almost gave away when Derek groaned in pain, leaning against me to not fall.

When the bell ceased, Derek stood up again. He was still breathing heavily, but I could tell he was just trying to hide his pain.

“He’ll be out in the front,” I told Derek. “He’s-”

“Supposed to go to the Argent’s house after school,” Derek finished for me. “I heard.”

I blinked, looking around to find Allison, only to see her nowhere in sight. _Whoa_. Werewolf hearing was pretty cool.

“C’mon, let’s get to the front,” I said. “Put your arm around my shoulders.” Derek gave me an, _‘Are you serious?’_ deadpan in response. I huffed. “I can see that you’re about two minutes from dropping to the ground. It’ll be a lot easier to drag you when you’ve got at least _one_ limb around me as opposed to none.” Then I paused. “Wait… that’s…” I sighed loudly. “Nevermind. Just do it.”

Derek snorted in response and stepped back, unpinning me to the wall. He reluctantly swung an arm over my shoulder, and I dragged him to the front of the school. Man, he was a good ten or so inches taller than me, and probably weighed maybe seventy pounds more than me. He was heavy, _okay_?

I stumbled out of the school, giving the guy that held the door open for me a small smile. He looked at me strangely, but thankfully didn’t comment.

I spotted Stiles’ powder blue jeep, with him in the driver’s seat, fingers tapping on the steering wheel impatiently. I could see him dig into his pocket, pulling out his phone. His fingers tapped over the screen before placing it to his ear. A couple seconds later, my phone began to vibrate in my pocket.

Without even bothering to pick it up, I dragged Derek over to the jeep. Stiles didn’t even notice me, and I couldn’t stop as Derek extricated himself from me, collapsing on the front of Stiles’s jeep.

My brother jumped, yelling out, “OH MY GOD!” in the process. He looked forward, making eye contact with me before at the body slumped over his jeep. “OH MY GOD!” he cried again before stumbling out of the car.

He looked at me and disbelief and began to form incoherent sounds before mumbling “You’ve gotta be kidding me. This guy’s everywhere…” He then turned to me and demanded, “What the hell did you do to him?!”

“Shut _up_ !” I shushed, trying to avoid the attention we were gathering. “And I didn’t do _anything_. Where’s Scott?”

“What the hell is going on?” Scott demanded, walking over to where we were. He looked down at Derek’s slumped body before turning to me accusingly, “What the hell did you do to him?”

“What makes you think _I_ did anything?” I retorted. “Like _I_ could do anything to _him_.” I pointed at Derek’s slumped body.

“Huh, she actually has a point,” Stiles realized. I shot him a look that read, _‘You think?’_ He simply shrugged in response.

Scott reached forward, turning Derek’s body over. I saw the older werewolf grit his teeth in pain before exhaling deeply. I reached forward, placing a hand over one of Derek’s sweaty ones. He took slow, labored breaths, before I felt a strong grip around my hand.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Scott asked, looking at Derek.

“I was shot…” Derek panted out.

“He’s not looking so good, dude,” Stiles piqued. I shot him another look. Did he _really_ need to point out the obvious?

“Why aren’t you healing?” Scott asked, looking at the werewolf in slight concern.

“I can’t,” Derek shook his head. “It was… it was a different kind of bullet.”

Stiles asked, “A silver bullet?”

Since Derek had told me silver didn’t affect werewolves, I realized it was a stupid question. Derek shot a look to Stiles. “No, you idiot.”

“Wait,” Scott realized. “That’s what she meant when she said you had forty-eight hours.”

“What?” Derek looked at Scott with slight confusion. “Who… who said forty-eight hours?”

“The one who shot you,” Scott replied. Derek recoiled suddenly and his eyes flashed an icy blue. He blinked multiple times, willing his wolf away, and his eyes flickering from green to blue. “What are you doing? Stop that!”

“I’m trying to tell you, I _can’t_ ,” Derek growled lowly, his eyes flickering colors. We were attracting a bit too much attention.

“We need to get out of here,” I mumbled, and the guys nodded in agreement. I climbed into the car first, getting into the backseat while Scott and Stiles pulled Derek into the passenger seat.

“I need you to find out what kind of bullet they used,” Derek said to Scott.

Scott looked at Derek in confusion. “How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“Because she’s an Argent,” Derek referred to whom I had no doubt was Allison. “She’s with them.”

“Why should _I_ help _you_?” Scott retorted.

I could see the impatience creep into Derek’s tone. “Because you need me.”

“Fine,” Scott relented. “I’ll try.” He turned to Stiles and said, “Hey, get him out of here.”

Stiles groaned, but started the engine. “I hate you for this so much.” He backed out of the parking space, leaving the crowd of teenagers behind.

Stiles turned out of the parking lot, and I pulled out a packet of tissues that I carried around from my bag. Derek panted heavily as I moved to wipe his forehead, getting rid of the sweat drops that had built up there.

“Call Scott,” Stiles ordered me, his eyes darting over to my hands, which were taking care of Derek as best as they could. _Whoa, there_. I meant “taking care” as in, his bullets of sweat. “Why the hell are you turning red?”

Derek angled his head so he would meet my eyes, but I darted back into the seat, pulling out my phone and quickly calling Scott, who was number three on my speed dial. The first was Stiles and the second was my dad.

I held it to my ear and it rang and rang and rang… “He’s not answering,” I frowned, my eyebrows coming together.

“He’s probably making out with Allison,” Stiles grumbled, pulling out his own phone. He held it to his ear, but let out a frustrated sigh before sending him an angry text.

He glowered at Derek, who was taking off his black leather jacket. Stiles continued to scowl until he picked up his phone. “‘ _Need more time’_!” Stiles exclaimed, throwing his free hand in the air. “Are they gonna sex it up before he finds the bullet or something?!”

The image of Scott and Allison rolling around in a bed filled my thoughts and my frown got deeper. I _so_ did not need that disgusting visual. I voiced that opinion out loud, but Stiles just huffed angrily.

“Try not to bleed out on my seats, okay?” Stiles demanded, turning down the road and further into the woods. “We’re almost there.”

“Almost where?” Derek asked, slightly out of breath.

Stiles sighed heavily. “Your house,” he replied in a matter-of-factly tone.

Derek’s head shot up and he glanced at my brother. “What?” he asked for clarification. “No. You can’t take me there.”

“I can’t take you to your own house!” Stiles exclaimed in disbelief.

“Not while I can’t protect myself,” Derek shook his head.

“He’s right, Stiles,” I quipped. Stiles shot me a venomous look before reaching to shift gears and then pulled up to a curb.

“Can you just… _not_ ?” Stiles asked me. “It’s bad enough that the first guy that you’ve probably shown interest in can _kill_ you and he’s literally _dying_ right now!” I smacked his head. “ _Ow_!”

Derek tossed me an unreadable look, but I didn’t want to meet his eyes. Not while he was dying and _not_ with my brother around. I swear, it was his (my brother’s) life mission to somehow mortify me.

Stiles turned to Derek, giving up on trying to “reason” with me. “Alright, what happens if Scott doesn’t find your little magic bullet, _hmm_? Are you dying?”

“Not yet,” Derek panted out. “I have a last resort.”

Stiles didn’t take that news too well. “What do you _mean_ ? _What_ last resort?!”

Derek lifted up his left sleeve, and I cringed when I saw the bloodied wound with a massive hole the side of two of my fingers embedded in his arm. It even made a weird squishy sound.

“Oh, my, God,” Stiles cringed, turning away from the scene. “What is that?” He gagged a little bit. “Oh, is that contagious? “Y’know what? You should probably just get out.”

“Start the car,” Derek ignored Stiles’s comment. “Now.”

Stiles blinked in disbelief. “I don’t think you should be _barking_ orders with the way you look, okay? In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for _dead_!” He boldly looked at Derek.

The werewolf simply turned to Stiles and said, “Start the car… or I’m gonna rip your throat out… with my teeth.”

It was silent for a couple of seconds before Stiles looked away and started his car and drove away, mumbling about “stupid werewolves” and “fucking bullets.” I think I even heard a “stupid sister that loves murderers,” too. What the _hell_?

“Stiles,” I growled lowly. “Just drive.”

“Fine, fine,” my brother grumbled, turning the steering wheel. “Any brilliant ideas on where are destination is?”

“No,” I shook my head. “Just drive until we figure something out.”

For hours, we came up with random ideas, which were quickly shot down by either Derek or me. The sun had fully set and it was nighttime now, and there was still no answer from Scott. I sent him an angry text.

**Sindy Stilinski: _Dammit, Scott. Hurry up._**

I locked my phone angrily and huffed, crossing my arms.

Stiles had been driving around town in circles for hours, not sure of where to go. We couldn’t really take him back to our house.

I placed my hand on Derek’s shoulder, asking, “How are you doing?”

“Manageable,” he grunted out.

Stiles’s phone began to ring, echoing loudly. My brother fumbled with his phone for a few seconds before turning on the speaker, answering the phone, “What am I supposed to do with him?” he demanded.

 _“Take him somewhere,”_ Scott’s frantic voice replied. _“Anywhere.”_

Stiles huffed a sigh. “And by the way, he’s starting to smell.” I glowered at him and whacked the back of his head. “Ow! It’s true!”

_“Like-like what?”_

“Like _death_ ,” Stiles hissed. I frowned as Stiles whipped around to look at me. “And you know it’s true, don’t deny it, Sindy.”

Derek glowered at my brother.

 _“Take him to the animal clinic,”_ Scott suggested.

“… What about your boss?” I blinked, confused.

 _“He’s gone by now,”_ Scott replied. _“You know where the spare key is, Sindy. In the box behind the dumpster.”_

Stiles sighed heavily. You didn’t often see Stiles stressed, but in this past month, Stiles has been on edge because of this whole “my best friend’s a werewolf” ordeal. He handed Derek the phone, “This is unbelievable.”

“Did you find it?” Derek demanded, taking the phone.

 _“How am I supposed to find_ one bullet _? They have a million! This how is like… like the fricken’ Walmart of guns!”_

“Look, if you don’t find it, then I’m dead, alright?” Derek bluntly pointed out.

_“I’m starting to think that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”_

“Scott…” I growled. “Just find the damn bullet.”

“Then think about this: The Alpha called you out against your will. He’s gonna do it again. Next time, you either kill him, or get killed. So if you want yourself, your little girlfriend, your stupid best friend, or Sindy to stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet.” Without any further ado, Derek hung up, tossing the phone back at Stiles.

“How come I’m called the stupid best friend and Sindy is referred to by her name?” Stiles demanded, turning to look at Derek.

“Because she’s the only one worth acknowledging,” Derek retorted. He glanced back at me and my eyes met his. Against my will, my heart began to pound and I looked away, but not before noticing the smirk that crept onto Derek’s face.

“Dude, can you not hit on my sister?” Stiles asked, looking from Derek to me and then back to Derek. “You’re like, dying, and you’re still hitting on her?”

Derek glared at Stiles. “I’m not hitting on her. Now drive.”

Stiles took a glance back at me. “Just so you know, I don’t approve of this.”

“There is no _this_ ,” Derek and I said at the same time, much to my surprise. “Now drive.”

“Okay, okay, jeez,” Stiles grumbled, turning on the engine. He pressed on the gas lightly, and I felt the car move as he drove us to the animal clinic Scott worked at.

Once the car came to a stop, I scrambled out of the car, hurrying to get the spare key. I grabbed the key in the box before running back to the entrance, opening the door. Stiles lifted up the metal door, and Derek stumbled in before collapsing on a chair.

Stiles’s phone chimed with a text when I sat down next to Derek. I brushed pulled down the sleeve of my jacket to wipe away some of the sweat that had gather around his forehead.

“Does Nordic blue monkshood mean anything to you?” Stiles asked, turning around.

“It’s a rare form of wolfsbane,” Derek told us. “He has to bring me the bullet.”

“Why?” Stiles asked.

Derek huffed out a deep breath, looking up at Stiles with an ‘are you stupid’ gaze. “Because I’m gonna die without it.”

“You’re not a particularly positive person, are you?” I attempted to joke to ease the tension that had built.

That seemed to do the trick, because Derek scoffed. “Obviously.”

I stood up, grabbing the arm that was uninjured. “Stiles, help me get him to the treatment room.”

“Why do _I_ get the injured arm?” Stiles grumbled. The two of us lifted Derek up and _boy_ , was he heavy. “Oh, dude, you might wanna cut back on the fries.”

We walked to the treatment room in the back, and I almost fell back in shock when Stiles suddenly let go to hit the lights. “Stiles!” I cried, stumbling from the weight. Thankfully, Derek caught himself and stayed up right.

I released Derek cautiously and he took off his shirt.

Blood rushed up to my cheeks as I took in his profile. _Wow_ . He was heavy, but it _definitely_ , _for sure_ wasn’t because of the fact that he ate _fries_. No, no, no. He was completely smooth and muscular.

Derek stumbled a bit, throwing his shirt onto a counter. I spotted a three-spiral tattoo in-between his strong shoulder blades and made a mental note to ask about it later… when he was alive and well. He leaned against the table Deaton always used to treat animals.

“ _Oh my God_ !” Stiles exclaimed, a tone of disgust in his voice. “The guy is literally _dying_ and you’re practically eye-fucking him!”

I balled my hand into a fist and struck him in the gut. He coughed in shock, the air blown out of him. “On second thought,” he wheezed out. “It doesn’t look all that bad. Doesn’t look anything some Echinacea and a good night’s sleep couldn’t take care of.”

It was then I got a good look at Derek’s arm and the open wound was bleeding, and the veins on his arm was completely black. I resisted the urge to hit Stiles just because.

“When the infection reaches my heart,” Derek took deep breaths between his words, “it’ll kill me.” He turned around and began to search the shelves for something.

“‘Positivity’ just isn’t in your vocabulary, is it?” Stiles demanded.

“If he doesn’t get here with the bullet in time…” Derek pulled open a shelf. “Last resort.”

“Which is…?” Stiles prompted as Derek pulled out what resembled a small saw. My face dropped and I swear my heart stuttered.

“You’re gonna cut off my arm,” Derek said, looking at Stiles.

“Oh, my–” Stiles stopped himself, unable to form words. “I – oh God. I need some air.” He looked at me and pointed weakly at Derek, “J-just watch him, okay? I-I’m gonna call Scott.” He continued to mumble to himself, leaving the room.

I frowned as Derek threw the saw on the table. “Help me find a tourniquet,” he panted out.

“Wh-why don’t you sit and let me look?” I suggested, placing a hand on Derek’s back. I felt the slickness of his sweat and it was only then I realized just how much in pain he was. I looked up at him, concerned. “How bad is it?”

Derek paused in his actions. He looked down at me, waiting.

“On a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest,” I continued.

“Thirty,” Derek replied simply. He pulled out a blue rubber strip, which was undoubtedly used as a tourniquet and threw it on the table.

I frowned, reaching to look at his injured arm. I took it softly, and I could feel how tense his muscles were. “I’m gonna see if there’s something to make the pain less.”

I turned to go look for a disinfectant or something, but a tight grip on my wrist stopped me. As I glanced down at my wrist, I saw Derek’s uninjured arm shot out, gripping my wrist.

“Wait…” he panted out. My eyes followed a trail of sweat that trickled down the side of his head.

“Wh–” I started, but was interrupted. He swooped down, and my eyes widened in shock when his lips connected with my own.

I never really understood why girls in the romance novels I read always talked about toe-curling, mind-blowing kisses. I just always thought they were just contact with lips and they were just blowing it out of proportion.

In fact, I was underestimating it all.

My arms shot out and wrapped around his body, hands splaying on his slick, sweaty back. His good hand went to my nape, twisting his fingers into my brown locks, holding my head at an angle.

I leaned against him, standing on the tips of my toes in order to kiss him properly. He took my upper lip between his, and I took his bottom with my own. I nipped at his full lip and he let out a groan, his hand tightening in my hair.

All of a sudden, he let out another groan, but it was much different than the one before.

I pulled back abruptly and Derek looked down at me with hazy eyes, his breath coming out shallowly. “Derek?” I asked, taking a step back. He swayed a bit, but I caught him just in time. “Stiles!” I called, and Derek leaned against the metal table. “STILES!”

Rapid footsteps came running back in and my brother barreled through the door. “Shit,” he cursed, seeing Derek’s condition.

Derek grabbed the bone saw and slid it over to Stiles before taking the tourniquet and tying it tightly around his arm. Derek made eye contact with me before turning to Stiles.

“What if you bleed to death?” Stiles inquired.

“It’ll heal if it works,” Derek replied.

“Look,” Stiles choked out. “I don’t know if I can do this. Maybe Sindy sh-”

“ _No_ ,” Derek protested, a growl in his voice. “Why can’t you do it?”

“Well, because of the cutting through the flesh, the sawing of the bone, and especially the blood! Sindy’s works at a hospital! Surely she can do it!”

“ _No_ ,” Derek stated firmly. “Are you _faint_ at the sight of blood?”

“No, but I might at the sight of a _chopped-off arm_ ! Why are you so adamant about Sindy _not_ doing it? She’ll do a better job than me!”

Derek heaved heavily. “Because she _can’t_ ,” Derek said. His eyes darted over to me. “I’m not subjecting her to the sight of her cutting off my arm.”

“But you will to _me_?” Stiles gaped.

“Obviously,” Derek retorted. “How about this? Either you cut off my arm, or I’m gonna cut off your head.”

“Okay, you know what? I’m _so_ not buying your threats any-” my twin was cut off by Derek roughly grabbing him with his free arm, and it wasn’t the kind of grabbing Derek did to me. It was rough and threatening. “Oh my God. Okay, alright, alright. Bought. Sold. Totally. I’ll do it. I’ll do it.”

Derek looked impossibly pale and I ran over to see what was wrong, before he heaved out some black liquid from his mouth.

“Holy God, what the hell is _that_?!” Stiles whined.

I rubbed Derek’s back, and I assumed it was werewolf blood when it was poisoned, or something along those lines. I wiped the bit of blood that was still at the corner of his lips and Derek panted out, “It’s my body… trying to heal itself.”

“Well, it’s not doing a very good job of it,” Stiles commented. I looked over to my brother and saw that he was actually quite nauseous and was about to throw up himself.

“Now,” Derek demanded. “You’ve gotta do it now.” I felt his free hand entwine with my right one.

“Look, honestly, I don’t think I can.”

“ _Just do it_!” Derek roared.

“Oh, God. Okay, okay.” I heard the saw buzz to life. I closed my eyes and squeezed Derek’s free hand tightly. “Oh my God. Alright, here we go!”

“Stiles?! Sindy?!” I heard a familiar voice call.

“Scott/Scotty?!” Stiles and I called back at the same time.

Scott came running into the room, and his eyes darted from us to Derek to the bone saw. “What the hell are you doing?!” Scott demanded.

Stiles let out a breathless laugh of relief as Derek extricated his fingers from mine. “Oh, you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares,” Stiles sighed.

“Did you get it?” Derek asked Scott.

Scott dug into his pocket and pulled out a small, long, golden bullet. Derek looked at it and I asked, “What are you gonna do with it?”

“I’m gonna…” Derek panted out. “I’m gonna…” His free hand slumped back onto the table, and the bullet rolled away.

My eyes widened as I swayed as Derek fell limp in my arms, and I almost fell to the ground before Stiles grabbed me and dragged me away. Derek collapsed to the ground and Scott dived after the bullet.

Stiles and I scrambled to our feet, rushing over to Derek. Stiles grabbed the werewolf’s head and began to pat his face. “Derek. Derek, come on, wake up.”

“Derek?” I asked, shaking him. My heart began to pound heavily in my chest. “Derek! Wake up!”

“-not waking up!” I heard Stiles cry in panic. “I think he’s dying. I think he’s dead!”

“Just hold on!” Scott replied.

“How can we _hold on_ ?!” I demanded. “Derek could be dead!” I cried. I reached to feel his heartbeat, but it was only _very_ , _very_ faint. “His heartbeat’s incredibly weak.”

“Back up, Sindy,” Stiles said. I did as he told me and he pulled back his arm. He gave a swift punch to Derek’s face just as Scott yelled that he got the bullet.

To my relief, Derek opened his eyes and Stiles cradled his right hand in pain. Scott pushed Derek up and the older man ripped off the cap of the bullet before pouring out the wolfsbane.

“Lighter,” he told me. I turned around, grabbing the lighter that was on the counter. Derek had pulled it out earlier, but I had no idea why. I handed it to him and he placed the lighter to the wolfsbane.

I pulled back in shock as the wolfsbane was set on fire and sparked angrily before fading to a light blue smoke that sizzled gently. Derek gathered up the wolfsbane before shoving it into his wound, crying out in pain when he dug his finger into the wound to force all the wolfsbane in.

I jumped back in shock when Derek collapsed to the ground, roaring out in pain. A few seconds later, the dark veins around his wound started to retract, and then his wound all but disappeared.

“That… was… AWESOME!” Stiles exclaimed. “YES!”

“Oh my God!” I cried, running to Derek. I knelt down next to him and threw my arms around him. His right arm went around my waist and I helped him up.

“Are you okay?” Scott asked.

“Well, except for the agonizing pain,” Derek retorted.

“I guess the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health,” Stiles commented. He was immediately shut up by a glower from Derek before the werewolf moved to take off his tourniquet.

“Okay, we saved your life, which means you’re gonna leave us alone, you got that?” Scott demanded. “And if you don’t, I’m gonna go back to Allison’s dad, and I’m gonna tell him everything-”

“You’re gonna trust them?” Derek asked. “You think they can help you?”

"Why not?” Scott demanded. “They’re a lot freaking nicer than _you_ are.”

Derek took the challenge. “I can show you exactly how nice they are. Drive us to my house, first.”

“C’mon,” Stiles said, grabbing his best friend. “I wanna stop being were-grumpy’s chauffeur ASAP.” The two teenaged boys left the room, leaving me alone with Derek.

“What happened earlier,” Derek turned to me, grabbing his shirt from the floor. “It-”

“Means nothing, right?” I cut him off. “Is this gonna be one of those clichés where the guy only kissed the girl because she was the only one there?”

Derek slid the rest of his shirt on before tugging at the bottom of it. “That isn’t it,” he refuted, walking over to me. He placed a hand on my cheek and I leaned into it instinctively. “What happened was… _something_. But what you want emotionally, I can’t give to you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Derek simply placed a hand on top of my head. “Your first relationship should be with someone who can love you.”

I frowned, not really understanding his words. He walked out of the room, leaving me wondering just how messed up the Argents had left him.


	8. Alpha Attack

**SUNDAY  
** **JANUARY 30, 2011**

“Okay, so  _what_ movie did you want, again?” I asked, cradling the phone in the crook of my neck as I pulled up to the movie store. I shut off the car, and threw my keys carelessly into my bag. I popped open the car door, locking the door behind me.

_“Anything that’s not a rom-com,”_ Stiles replied, and I could  _hear_ the rolling of his eyes.  _“Bacon burger and curly fries?”_

“Please and thank you,” I replied, before hanging up. I walked into the store, and was greeted by the employee, who was fixing the lights in the ceiling. I gave a small greeting in return, before turning down one of the aisles.

I browsed through the mystery section, trying to pick something for us to watch. My finger stopped on  _Sherlock Holmes_ , wondering if I should get it. The sequel was coming out at the end of this year, and we could refresh our memories.

“Can somebody help me find  _The Notebook_ ?” I heard an all-too familiar voice call out a couple minutes later.

I poked my head out of the aisle, and my eyes landed on a familiar brunet. “Jackson?” I called out, recognizing the lacrosse captain.

“Sindy!” Jackson exclaimed in shock. “Oh, shit. I mean… uh…” His eyes darted to come up with an excuse as to why he was watching  _The Notebook_ .

“Lydia?” I provided for him, my lips curling in amusement. He nodded silently. I chuckled under my breath. He was so whipped. The phone began to ring, and I looked around curiously. The worker that was on the ladder earlier was suddenly gone.

“Is  _anyone_ working here?” Jackson asked, approaching me. I was about to meet him half-way, when he suddenly froze in shock, in the middle of the aisle. I looked at him curiously, and saw him staring at something on the floor. My eyes followed his line of vision, and I spotted a pair of dark, dirty shoes slumped out from behind an aisle.

“Sindy,” Jackson said cautiously, taking slow, wary steps. “Stay close and  _right_ behind me.”

I nodded, and wondered if I should call Derek or Scott. I couldn’t shake this feeling that somehow, the Alpha was involved in this. I sure hoped it wasn’t the case, but it was better to my safer than sorry, right? I followed Jackson as we approached the feet, and I pulled out my phone slowly. We cautiously peeked our heads around the shelf, and I let out a gasp when I saw the employee that had greeted me earlier on the floor.

His eyes were opened in shock behind his framed glasses, and what was worse? His throat torn out. The crimson blood was spilled everywhere, covering his neck, collarbones, and soaking through his shirt.

Jackson stumbled back in shock, which caused the lights to flicker ominously behind us as the ladder dropped to the ground with a loud crash. My hands shakily unlocked the phone, my instincts going crazy. I went to search my contacts, but then I froze, hearing a low growl not too far away. I turned my head, and I shook when my eyes made contact with piercing red ones. I stood, paralyzed for who knows how long, before Jackson roughly pulled me down behind a shelf.

I worked to try to unlock my phone, which had locked itself in my shock. I was trying to call  _someone_ ,  _anyone_ . Derek, Scott, Stiles, Dad…

I heard a heavy thud, and then another. And then another. It didn’t take a genius to know that the shelves were falling. I let out a scream, and I ducked, falling to the ground, dropping my phone in process. In the midst of all the loud thumping sounds, I could hear my phone ringing quietly, but couldn’t check it. I felt a presence right behind me, and willed myself to suppress my shudder.

I could feel the giant animal loom over Jackson and me. A huge, furry claw reached out past me, and it peeled down the back of Jackson’s jacket. It growled lowly before I felt it lean down, so close that I could feel its breath against the back of my neck. It took a long, heavy sniff at me before suddenly jumping away. I heard the glass shatter in the distance, but I was too shocked to even move.

_“Sindy?”_ I heard a faint, distorted voice ask.  _“What was that sound?”_ I knew that voice. Derek.

I scrambled for my phone, which had been crushed beneath my chest earlier. I had dropped it in my haste, and hadn’t even realized I accidentally called someone. That explained the soft ringing I heard earlier.

“Derek?” I exhaled, placing the phone to my ear. My lungs started to constrict tightly. “I-I-” I struggled out. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even  _see_ . My eyesight was beginning to blur, and my head throbbed painfully. Did I hit my head? I don’t think so. It was probably the adrenaline running through my veins.

_“Breathe, Sindy,”_ Derek ordered, and I could hear a voice yell at him in the background. Judging from what I knew and could process, it was Scott.  _“Where are you?”_

“Video 2*C,” I said quietly. “With Jackson. S-someone was killed…”

_“I’ll be right there,”_ Derek said, before I heard a dial tone.

“S-Sindy…?” Jackson stuttered out. “You okay?”

“Y-yeah…” I nodded. “W-we need to get out of here.”

“It’s small enough for you to slide out first,” Jackson told me. “Slide out and then call the police.” I nodded and used my forearms to drag myself out from underneath the shelves. I dialed the police and helped Jackson out from under the shelves.

_“911, what’s your emergency?”_ I heard a voice drone.

“I-I’m at Video 2*C,” I reported. “S-someone was just killed a-and we were attacked.”

_“I’ll send someone right over. Is there anyone else hurt?”_

Jackson took the phone out of my hands and snapped, “Someone just  _died_ ! So hurry up!” Without waiting for a reply, he angrily hung up the phone. “C’mon. Let’s go. I need to see if Lydia’s okay.”

Jackson took my wrist and all but dragged me out. Lydia was panicking like crazy in her car, so Jackson let go of me to run over to his girlfriend. I could hear the sirens in the distance, and shivered, unable to repress what I had just seen.

The paramedic came out and addressed to me first, since I was standing by myself. “Anything hurt?” he asked kindly. I shook my head. He quickly examined me, and deemed that I was completely fine. When I had said my head hurt, he told me I didn’t have a concussion, and it was most likely from the blood that was rushing to my veins.

A few minutes later, I saw my dad’s car pull up. Before the car could even stop, Stiles was already barreling out the door. “Sindy!” he cried, running over to me.

“Stiles!” I exclaimed, before all but launching myself at my twin brother. I relished in his warm, comfortable hold and he cradled me softly, kissing the side of my head softly.

“Thank God you’re okay,” Stiles said into my hair. He swayed us side-to-side. It was times like these that I truly appreciated having Stiles as a big brother. He was always there to comfort me.

I felt a larger hand stroke my hair and looked up to see Dad looking down at me. “You okay?” he asked patiently and softly. When I nodded, he asked, “Do you remember seeing anything?”

I shook my head. “It all happened so fast. I-I think it was a mountain lion or something…”

At that, Dad seemed to be fine with my statement, and ordered, “You two stay here. I’m going to talk to the paramedics.”

“Stiles,” I said hurriedly. “It was the Alpha.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Stiles said, pulling away from me. “The Alpha did this?” he exclaimed.

“ _Shh_ !” I hissed, bobbing my head to the paramedics, who were no more than three feet away. Thankfully, they were too engaged in talking with the sheriff.

“Right,” Stiles whispered loudly. “The Alpha? You saw it?” I nodded. All of a sudden, his attention was pulled away from me. “Oh, whoa! Is that a dead body?!”

Dad and I threw Stiles a look that read,  _“Really?”_ My brother looked slightly repented and he shrugged his shoulders.

I felt a change in the air, almost like something had arrived… or more like… someone. My eyes darted to the crowd, searching for the presence I sought out. I couldn’t see anything, but just before I gave up, my head angled upwards.

My eyes made contact with a dark figure that stood above on the ceiling, and on closer inspection, it was Derek. Right next to him was Scott, who was crouched over, observing the scene.

“Stiles, drive your sister home,” I heard Dad say. “I need to finish up here.”

Stiles nodded his head, and I felt his warm hand engulf mine. “Let’s go,” he said, bobbing his head in the direction of my car. I followed him silently. I slid into the passenger seat and threw my purse on my lap.

Stiles reached over and dug into my purse before pulling out my car keys. He started the car and drove us home.

The ride was mostly filled with silence, as I was trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. “I could’ve died,” I said out loud, staring out the window. “Its eyes were a gleaming, blood-red. And its body was  _huge_ , covered in thick, black, fur.”

“You’re fine, Sindy,” Stiles assured. With his right hand, he reached over and took my left. “You’re fine,” he repeated.

I nodded dully, and I felt the car come to a stop. Stiles shut off the engine and turned to me. “You gonna be okay, sis?”

“Y-yeah,” I confirmed. “I-I just need to sleep it off.”

“Y’know, it’s been a long time since we’ve cuddled…” Stiles commented casually. The corner of my lips curled. “There’s the smile,” he grinned, poking my cheek. “Seriously, though. Just come in if you need to, alright?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Stiles,” I said.

Stiles leaned over the console and hugged me, and I relished in his arms. My brother was one of the world’s best huggers. “Any time, sis.”

I popped open the car door, and began to walk to the house, with Stiles right behind me. I stalked up the stairs, and quickly pulled off my bra, kicking off my shoes once I got into my room and closed the door behind me. I didn’t even bother to turn on my lights, because I knew I was just going to go to bed once I had the chance to.

I tossed the undergarment to the side haphazardly and went to open the window to let in some fresh air. I turned around, pulling off my jeans to change into a pair of comfortable, pink pajama pants with black outlines of pigs. It was a random gift Stiles had bought for me while he was out shopping one day. I could sleep in the tank top I was wearing right now. I was too tired to change. I went to brush my teeth after charging my phone.

Once finished, I re-entered my bedroom, and felt a presence enter my bedroom.

I whirled around, my hair flying behind me as I did so. Standing at my now-closed window was Derek Hale, dressed in his usual black leather jacket, dark grey Henley, black jeans, and of course, black shoes.

“Derek…” I exhaled. My body moved on its own accord, and I all but launched myself at the werewolf. He didn’t do anything, just standing there, allowing me to wrap my arms around him.

His leather jacket was cold, but when I slipped my hands under the jacket, I could feel the body heat radiating off of him. I buried my face into his chest, taking in the woodsy, nature-like scent that was Derek.

I stood there, holding him for who-knows-how long, and when his arms finally snaked around me, it was like a flip that was switched on.

A dam burst, and I found myself sobbing uncontrollably, digging my face into Derek’s shirt to muffle my sounds. My body shook crazily, and I clung onto the werewolf, not even caring that I was soaking up his shirt and forcing my feelings onto him.

The lifeless, dull eyes of the worker stared back at me when I shut my eyes tightly, and I tightened my fists together. It happened while I was right  _there._

It could’ve been  _me_ .

It could’ve been  _me_ lying there, on the ground, with my throat slashed open.

It could’ve been  _me_ that had scared Jackson away.

It could’ve been  _me_ that was  _dead_ .

Derek didn’t do anything. He didn’t shush me. He didn’t whisper words of comfort. He just stood there, hands limply around me as he let me soak his shirt.

Breathing became something incredibly hard to do, and I pulled away, gasping for air. My lungs were craving oxygen, and I had to stop and calm down. I could feel myself almost begin to hyperventilate, something I haven’t felt in an incredibly long time.

“Breathe,” Derek said calmly. “In and out.”

I did as he told and took a deep breath, before exhaling. I did it a couple more times, before I was finally able to settle down. I stumbled back and sat down on my bed before my legs gave away.

I buried my face into my hands, and felt the wetness make contact with my skin. I pulled my hands away before I wiped them away with the sleeve of my sweater, before glancing up.

Derek was still standing in front of my window, waiting patiently for something. I noticed a huge, dark spot in the center of his chest, and I mumbled out a soft, “Sorry,” before looking down at my carpeted ground.

“It’s fine,” Derek brushed off. I heard him grab the chair at my desk and rolled it so it was in front of me. He sat down, and leaned forward, but all I could see were his dark shoes. “Sindy,” he said. I didn’t budge. “Sindy, look at me,” he ordered firmly, yet softly.

I warily glanced up. I blinked a couple of times, because my eyes were sore.

“I need you to tell me what you saw,” Derek slowly urged. “Everything. Don’t leave anything out.”

“Where do I start?” I mumbled.

“From when you entered the store,” Derek supplied.

I nodded slowly, and felt a dull throb in the back of my head. I didn’t want to tell him, but I knew I had to. Derek needed it to find the Alpha.

“I was planning on getting movies to watch with my dad and my brother tonight,” I started, thinking back to the reason. “It had been a while since Dad was actually  _free_ , so Dad and Stiles decided to go get food while I went to go get some DVDs. I was supposed to get a bacon burger and curly fries… I went to the store, and the worker greeted me. I was looking around in the mystery section, because Stiles and Dad love that genre, when I heard Jackson’s voice ask if they had  _The Notebook_ .

“I met up with Jackson, but then he noticed something, so I turned to see what it was, as well. It was then the lights started flickering and I thought I saw…  _feet_ . I walked closely with Jackson, because he didn’t want me too far. I felt on edge, and I wondered if it was the Alpha, so I was planning on calling you or Scott… I-I saw the dead body… and… I freaked out.

"The shelves then fell, and I was pushed under before I could call any of you. I-I must’ve accidentally hit the keys, because I heard your voice, bu-but before that… I saw something. It was huge, and furry an-and _animalistic_. It wasn’t even human. It wasn’t anything like your or Scott’s wolf form. It was like an actual animal. Its eyes were so red… li-like the worker’s blood.”

I grabbed my hair, tangling my fingers into the soft locks. I felt warm hands cover mine, but I continued on, unable to stop.

“It came up to me. I-I was so scared. This  _huge_ claw came up to Jackson, who was on the floor next to me, and touched the back of his neck. I-it was like some sort of  _wound_ . An-and then he moved on to me. B-but it was weird. He took a large  _sniff_ at me, like he was identifying me with  _smell_ before running off. A-and then I heard your voice…”

“Sindy,” Derek said slowly, and I felt my hands untangle themselves from my hair. “Was that all the Alpha did?”

I nodded mutely.

Derek nodded before leaning forward. He lifted my chin up and my eyes focused on his green ones. He leaned a bit more, and his forehead rested on my own.

I closed my eyes, relishing in the contact.

I felt something touch my lips and felt a warmth flow through my body. My arms shot out, wrapping around Derek’s neck.

His hands immediately went to my hips, lifting me up easily. My legs immediately tangled around Derek’s hips and I felt him move me so I was placed in the center of my bed. My legs dropped to the side once I was placed on my bed, but my arms still kept themselves around Derek’s neck. His left hand went up, tangling themselves into my hair, while his right ran up and down my side. I felt the side of my tank top lift up, and a warm, slightly hard pad of a thumb gently ran itself along the course of my skin.

Our lips broke apart, and I sucked in a deep breath, while Derek’s lips trailed to my jaw, before moving down to the side of my neck. He nipped at the skin, and I let out a breathy moan.

“Shh…” Derek hushed quietly against my skin. “You don’t want your brother coming in here, do you?” I shook my head, and I felt the rumble of his chest as he chuckled deeply. It sent a shiver – the good kind – down my spine, and I shuddered slightly. “Cold?”

“You should keep me warm, then,” I mumbled, grabbing his nape. I brought him back to my lips, and I gave him the best kiss I could muster. I wanted to leave him as breathless as he did me. I moved to roll us over, and was slightly surprised when Derek held no resistance. He was more of the “in-control” kind of guy, but I was pleased that he let me take control.

I hovered over him, and stared down into his eyes. My dark hair had formed a curtain around me, which didn’t really make much of a difference, since the lights were off in my room anyway. The only source of light came from the moon and streetlights outside my window, which Derek had closed on his way in. Even in the darkness, I could feel the heat and intensity of his celadon eyes.

My heart thumped against my chest, and I remembered his words from a couple of days ago. He couldn’t give me what I wanted.

Despite that, though, I couldn’t help it.

No one understood me as well as Derek had.

Stiles understood me to an extent, but there was always the line that a brother and sister had that just never crossed. We would never be able to talk about relationships that much, and I just wasn’t comfortable sharing certain things with Stiles… even if he did know my menstrual cycle.

With Derek, there was this pull… this emotional connection that just forced us together. From the very beginning, I had trusted Derek much more than was probably deemed healthy. Stiles and Scott frowned on it, but I couldn’t back down. Not with this.

Derek’s left hand went to cup the side of my face, and his thumb stroked my cheek gently. “You’re thinking too hard,” he said.

I gave him a small smile. I leaned down, and placed my lips over his soft ones. I nibbled on his top lip, as he took my bottom lip. I felt his large, warm hand slip under my waist band, and rub the outside of my right thigh in slow, even strokes. Every now and then, they would brush past my boyshorts, up my side, and down to my thighs again.

I pulled away from his lips, going to the corner of them. I gave them a small peck, before making a trail upwards. I took the shell of his ear in-between my lips and bit down softly. Derek let out a soft growl, and I felt his grip on my thigh get tighter.

My fingertips danced at the edge of his shirt, teasing the sliver of skin that was located there. I placed my palm flat on his muscles there, and felt them constrict. My fingers dusted over the light platter of hair that was located near his belly button, before trailing upwards, feeling his smooth, hard skin. Derek’s hands moved and went to snake around my waist. They pulled me so my lower half was flushed against him, and I let out a breathy sigh into Derek’s ear.

He let out another low growl, before turning us over, so he was back on top. I sat up a little bit, and reached to rid him of his jacket. Derek didn’t resist, and he allowed me to throw his jacket somewhere randomly in my room. I threw myself at him, locking my arms around his neck and pulled him down with me, back onto the bed.

I could feel his muscles ripple under my touch as I ran my hands up and down his clothed chest. I was incredibly eager to actually  _feel_ those muscles, but I knew it wasn’t the right time. I wasn’t ready for this. Not yet, at least. The idea of this actually becoming something more excited me, and when Derek let out a low growl, I knew he heard my heartbeat pick up and I wouldn’t put it past him to actually  _smell_ my excitement.

I was such a hussy, oh my God.

I’d only lost my first kiss to him just five days ago, and I was already thinking about myself in…  _compromising_ positions with Derek.

Derek let out a low chuckle, almost as if he could feel what I was feeling. Well… I guess he could, to an extent. He pulled his lips away from mine, and gave me a kiss, much softer than the intense ones we had just now.

“You should go to bed,” Derek said, pushing himself up.

“Stay with me,” I said quietly. “Just… lie there.”

Derek looked down at me, and the moonlight made it easy for me to see his eyes clearly. He was deep in thought for a while, being quiet for just a couple of minutes. When I thought that he was going to refuse my request, he finally said, “Only until you fall asleep.”

I nodded, taking what I could get.

Derek rolled off of me, and I scooted over to one side of the bed to allow him some room. It was a small twin bed, which fit us both, but just barely, because Derek made sure to keep a short distance between us. I, however, wasn’t having any of that.

I scooted close to Derek, taking in his warmth.

“The second you’re asleep, I’m leaving,” Derek told me.

“I know,” I mumbled out. “Now shut up and let me try to sleep. It shouldn’t be hard. You’re always brooding.”

Derek snorted in amusement, but didn’t say anything.

My heartbeat was slowing down, and before I fully succumbed to the darkness, I felt an arm circle around me. I snuggled in deeper, and though Derek said he wasn’t right for me, I couldn’t help but feel that he was.

My eyes drooped and I blinked sleepily, before I shut them completely, giving in to the darkness.


	9. Consume

**MONDAY  
** **JANUARY 31, 2011**

I could hear a light tapping against my bedroom door, before it slowly opened. I let out a soft groan, popping my head out of the warm cocoon I had built myself over the night.

“Sindy?” I heard Stiles ask, taking a seat on the side of my bed. “You going to school today? Dad said you could stay if you didn’t feel like going.”

“Yeah…” I mumbled out, sitting up. I rubbed my right eye sleepily. “Just gimme a half hour. Drive me today?”

“Sure,” Stiles nodded his head. “Go get ready. Your hair’s like a bird’s nest,” he teased, ruffling my hair and making it even messier.

I scowled, and tiredly slapped at my brother, who simply laughed and dodged. I threw my blankets back and made my bed before heading to the bathroom, bypassing Stiles.

Like I promised, within half an hour, I had taken my hair, brushed my teeth, brushed my hair, and dressed for the day. I had chosen a pair of skinny jeans to compliment the simple, white spaghetti tank top and black knee-high boots I had thrown on. Looking around for a jacket to throw over, I frowned when I couldn’t find a decent one.

My eyes fell onto the semi-heavy, black leather jacket that was folded on top of my desk. I walked over to it, the heels of my boots leaving soft, almost inaudible sounds. I unfolded the jacket and looked at it for a couple seconds before grabbing my phone and wallet, shoving them into the pockets.

I grabbed my bag for school, before I walked downstairs. Stiles was sitting at dining table, chewing on a bagel. “Oh, hey, I made you a bagel, too,” he said, turning around to look at me. He then froze and asked, “... What do you have on...?”

I furrowed my brows, walking over to him and taking a seat next to him, grabbing the bagel he had prepared for me. “What do you mean?”

“That jacket,” Stiles said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. He frowned. “Don’t tell me…”

“It’s Derek’s,” I confirmed.

Stiles blanched at that and looked like he wanted to throw up what he ate. “You two aren’t… y’know…” he trailed off. “A couple, are you?”

I shook my head. “No,” I replied. “But he’s not a bad guy, Stiles.”

“Tell that to me later,” Stiles snorted, not buying it. He grabbed his keys, which were on the counter.

Not even bothering to change his mind, I simply followed after him, bag slung over my shoulder, locking the door behind me. We piled into his jeep, and he took off, heading to school.

It didn’t take us long to arrive at school, and as I gathered my books, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of Scott.

“Where is he?” I asked, looking around for the teen wolf.

Stiles shrugged. “Maybe running late? We’ll see him in homeroom.” We walked off, and I couldn’t help but notice the lack of Lydia Martin, as well.

If Lydia was here, there was just a presence that  _demanded_ for our attention. Stiles also had a pretty decent Lydia-detector, and since he wasn’t jittery (more so than usual), then that meant Lydia wasn’t here yet, either.

Stiles and I walked to our homeroom, our English class, and we sat there, talking to each other.

“You sure you okay, Sindy?” Stiles asked, looking at me. “I… I sort of heard you crying last night… I would’ve gone over, but… I- I didn’t really know how to talk about… well, mutilated bodies…”

I frowned. I really didn’t want him to know about that. Usually, Stiles would show up when he felt that I was down, but I was glad that he didn’t last night. “It’s fine,” I assured him. “I feel better now. Just had to get it out of my system, y’know?”

Stiles nodded wearily, looking at me with sad, caramel-colored eyes. “I really am sorry.”

“And it’s  _fine_ , Stiles,” I said, reaching forward. I patted the back of his clasped hands and was shocked to find how tense they were.

“Look,” Stiles sighed out. “I know that you’re supposed to be the responsible and mature one, but I  _am_ your older brother. I just, don’t act like it most of the time. Believe it or not, Sindy, it  _is_ my job to protect you, it’s like, an unwritten law for older brothers. You don’t know how hard it was for me to just lie there in bed after walking past your door and hearing you bawl your eyes out.

“I don’t do a great job of protecting you, honestly. I get you to ditch class, I get you in trouble with Dad, I drag you to find dead bodies, and now we’re pulled into this  _thing_ where  _werewolves_ are  _real_ .” Stiles sighed heavily, running a hand over his head. “I’m the world’s crappiest older brother.”

“Stiles Stilinski, don’t make me bust out your real, full name,” I threatened. “Yeah, you’re probably not the best role model around, but to me, you’re the best brother around. It’s not  _your_ fault the Alpha ripped out the guy’s throat. It’s not  _your_ fault you have a huge curiosity that draws me to it. It’s not  _your_ fault that werewolves exist. Through this whole time, I think you’ve been doing a pretty damn good job at keeping me safe. Without you, I could be mauled to death by the Alpha by now.”

Stiles was smiling throughout the beginning of my small lecture, but then it quickly morphed into a frown at the end of it. “I don’t need that visual, and it’s  _not_ gonna happen.”

“I love you, Stiles,” I said.

That caused the smile to grow onto Stiles’s face again and he replied, “I love you, too, Sindy. And, by the way, if you full-named me, I would’ve full-named you, too. And you don’t want that, do you?”

I groaned, burying my face into my hands. Why did our parents have to give us such ridiculous names?

The bell chose at that moment to ring, so I turned back around in my seat.

English passed by fairly quickly, as after we got our essays back, which I had gotten an  _A_ on, our teacher just gave a simple lecture on common mistakes that he saw and gave us pointers for the next one.

Honestly, now that I was brought into the world of the supernatural, it was pretty boring without any supernatural beings around.

I was walking around campus during my free period, when I felt a change in the air.

I whirled around, feeling the power that radiated and demanded my attention. My eyes met with Derek’s and I blinked.

“Derek?” I asked dumbly. Well,  _obviously_ , it’d be him. Who else was tall, dark, and handsome and dressed from head to toe in black or dark colors? “Erm, Scott’s not here.”

“I’m not looking for Scott,” Derek said, approaching me. He stopped a couple feet from me and looked down, meeting my eyes. His eyes scanned my face, looking for something, but I couldn’t identify what. When he seemed like he was actually,  _alright_ , with whatever he found, he asked, “Where’s Jackson?”

My eyebrows furrowed, as I tried to recall when was the last time I had seen the “big man on campus”. I, of course, had seen him throughout the whole day, as he and I shared a majority of our classes.

“It’s his free period…” I realized. “Uh, I didn’t see him when I passed the lacrosse field or weight room, so he’s probably in the locker room?” Derek nodded curtly, and began to walk away. I jogged after him. “Why do you need him?”

Derek glanced down at me briefly before angling his head to look forward. “You said the Alpha looked at the back of Jackson’s neck before smelling you, right?” I nodded. “The day I was shot with the bullet, Jackson confronted me and he…  _angered_ me. I whirled around and grabbed his neck, which you saw. I’m wondering if his wound healed.”

“Oh,” I realized. “Why wouldn’t it heal, though? I mean, it’s not like you bit him or anything.”

“There was wolfsbane in my blood that day,” Derek explained calmly. “That could be a plausible explanation, but I’m unsure.” He opened the door to the locker room, and the steam immediately hit my face.

_Yup_ . Jackson was in here. … And a bunch of other guys.

I moved to follow after Derek, who had strode in without a problem, but I was stopped.

“Hey, Sindy,” one of the guys from the basketball team grinned, leaning casually. “McCall and your brother aren’t here. Here for me?”

“Back off,” Derek growled, suddenly appearing once again.

“Whoa, man, chill,” the guy said, holding his hands up defensively. “I didn’t know she was taken.” He shot me a wary look. Before I could protest, he left the locker room, adjusting the backpack on his shoulder.

“I could’ve handled it,” I said, frowning. Contrary to how I acted last night, I  _wasn’t_ a damsel in distress.

“Whatever,” Derek scoffed. I watched from the sidelines as Jackson’s back was to us, and Derek was waiting for the lacrosse captain to notice him.

When Jackson turned around, he suddenly jumped back in shock. “I – I don’t know where Scott is,” he said immediately.

“I’m not here for Scott,” Derek shot down. “I’m here for you.” Derek approached Jackson in confident, intimidating steps.

“Wh – wh – why me?” Jackson stuttered nervously. “I – I didn’t do anything.”

“No, but you saw something, didn’t you?” He looked knowingly at the lacrosse player.

“No!” Jackson exclaimed, an almost-deranged look in his eyes. “I didn’t… I didn’t see anything.”

“What was it,  _hm_ ?” Derek’s eyebrows shot up. “An animal? A mountain lion?” He asked the questions that he obviously knew the answers to, but I could tell he was testing Jackson.

“I didn’t see anything,” Jackson shook his head earnestly. “I swear. I’m not lying.”

“Then calm down and say it again,” Derek dared, inches away from the boy.

“Say what? That I’m not lying?”

“Tell me that you didn’t see anything,  _slowly_ .”

Jackson took a shaky breath before stating, “I didn’t see  _anything_ . I’m not lying.”

I watched as Derek’s face morph into concentration as he focused on what was most likely listening to Jackson’s heartbeat. He seemed to accept the boy’s answer, before grabbing Jackson’s head. “One more thing…” he angled the head to give himself a better view. “You should really get that checked out.”

Derek whirled around and his eyes fell on me. It was then Jackson noticed my presence, too. He glowered at me, but I wasn’t deterred. After all, I was in the company of Derek Hale these past few weeks.

“Let’s go,” Derek said, nodding his head to the door. “What other classes do you still have?”

“Econ and French,” I reported.

“Ditch them,” Derek said. “Text your idiot brother that you’re going home.” I frowned at the usage of him calling Stiles an idiot. No one got to call him that but me. “If it displeases you so much, tell him to stop being so antagonistic towards me.”

“You aren’t exactly buddy-buddy with Scott and him, either,” I pointed out before shooting a quick text to Stiles. I chose to tell him the truth, though.

**Sindy Stilinski: _Just checked on Jackson with Derek. Gonna leave with him, too. You check up on Lydia later._**

A few seconds later, my phone vibrated as I stepped out of the locker room.

**Stiles Stilinski: _FINE. Don’t get killed, or I swear I’ll find a way to bring you back to life and kill you again and say, “I told you so!”_**

**Sindy Stilinski:** _**Yeah, yeah. Gotcha.**_

**Stiles Stilinski: _I’m serious. Be careful._**

**Sindy Stilinski:** _**I will. Relax. Bye, Stiles.**_

**Stiles Stilinski: _Later._**

I locked my phone, sliding it back into the depths of Derek’s jacket. I followed him outside the school, and we walked over to his black Camaro.

I slid into the passenger seat, and Derek got into the driver’s side. He started the car, and drove off, to where, I wasn’t sure.

“If you knew why the Alpha was checking out Jackson’s neck, then… why did his sniff me?” I asked, looking at Derek’s profile.

His eyes didn’t break from the road, and he answered, “You’ve been in my presence a lot, lately.”

I frowned, not understanding. Then I remembered reading something about werewolves and their scents. “So… I smell like you?”

Derek’s eyes darted to meet mine in a split second before going back to the road. “Yes,” he replied curtly.

“But I thought that only happened with mates or something,” I said.

“Scents rub off, regardless,” Derek replied. “Mates have a different scent. Right now, you faintly smell like me, but if I ever mated with you, your scent would be synonymous with my own. In short, mates share one scent, and it’s a strong, permeating one that’s meant to ward off other wolves. If I went off and met another female and she was mated, any form of physical desire for her would throw me off and force me to only think about her at most, platonically.”

“I… sort of get it,” I said. “And if you meet an unmated female, you have the potential to feel anything for her, right? And how does scent affect your feelings?”

“That’s right,” Derek replied to my first question. “And it’s like how you can be friends with someone who wears a lot of cologne, but you don’t want to spend too much time with them.”

“… Oh,” I said. “That’s a really good comparison.”

Derek nodded and made a turn, heading into a drive thru. He lowered the window, and stopped at the menu. The worked gave a typical greeting, before asking what Derek wanted.

“Give me two bacon burgers and two large curly fries.”

_“Would you like anything to drink, sir?”_

Derek turned to me. “What do you like to drink?”

I blinked. “You don’t have to get me anything.”

“Just tell me what you like to drink,” the werewolf looked pointedly at me.

“Erm… Coke,” I replied.

“And two large Cokes,” he ordered.

_“Will that be all?”_

“Yes.”

_“Your total will be $8.51. Please pull up and pay in the next window.”_

Derek did as he was told, and the window slid open. The worker repeated the price and Derek gave the exact amount, having had two quarters and a penny in a little slot between the cup holders.

“Would you like the receipt?”

“No.”

The worker handed over the bag, and Derek passed me the paper bag. The delicious smell filled my nostrils and my stomach growled. The older man looked at me pointedly and I blushed, hiding my face behind my hair.

He placed the drinks into the cup holders. I looked down into the bag, and looked earnestly, hoping that one of them was for me.

“It is,” Derek answered, like he was able to read my thoughts.

“You didn’t have to,” I mumbled, though my growling stomach said something else. Derek smirked, but said nothing else. I decided to dig into the bag, pulling out a curly fry. I looked at him and asked, “Do you have a no-eating policy in your car?”

“There is, but you can eat,” Derek told me, “Besides, you didn’t get your bacon burger and curly fries last night.” He made another turn down the road. I realized that we were in the woods, and most likely heading to his house.

I smiled and ate the curly fry, letting out a soft sound of happiness as the delicious, unhealthy fried potato hit my taste buds. I munched on a couple more fries, before I realized that Derek hadn’t eaten anything, since I was all but hogging the bag.

I pulled out a medium-sized curly fry, and held it up in Derek’s direction. “Here,” I said.

“I can eat it later,” Derek replied.

“C’mon,” I said. “I hate it when Stiles eats in my car and doesn’t share. It’s the most annoying thing ever, so I make him feed me.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“ _No_ .”

“ _Yes_ . I’m not gonna stop, Derek.” The werewolf shot me a pointed look, before moving to grab the fry. I pulled my hand away. “Nuh-uh. Grease on the wheel  _sucks_ . I’m feeding you. Now, say  _ahh_ .”

“I’m not going to say that.”

“Then at least open your mouth.”

I could see the man roll his eyes, before dropping his jaw. I beamed with pride and moved to slip the fry into his mouth, when his neck moved and he wrapped his lips around to grab the fry  _and_ the tips of my fingers.

The blood rushed to my face as I felt the fry be taken from my fingertips, before a warm, wet appendage made contact with them, licking it roughly.

I quickly pulled my hand back, and saw the self-satisfied smirk on Derek’s face. He chewed the fry and even said, “The fry’s a lot tastier than usual…”

My heartbeat accelerated and I ducked my head behind my hair, gripping the sides of the paper bag tightly, making it wrinkle and the sound echo in the now-quiet car.

The rest of the drive was silent, and I didn’t dare to eat another curly fry until we were in his house. When Derek pulled up to his driveway, he simply turned off his engine, popped open his door, and took our drinks.

I opened my own door, and followed him into his house, taking the bag with me. He led me down the hallway and into a large room that held a table and a couple chairs. The chairs were new, indicating that he bought them recently, and the table was slightly burned, but still in good condition.

I placed the bag on the table, and Derek reached in to pull out his burger and curly fries. I sat down and we began eating in silence, which normally would most likely be uncomfortable, but right now? It made me feel at ease.

Just as I was finishing the last of my fries, a ring echoed through the room, startling me. I realized it was my phone and hastily dug into Derek’s jacket pocket, pulling it out.

It was my brother.

I furrowed my brows and picked up, “Hello?”

_“Sindy!”_ Stiles yelped.  _“You’ll never believe what I just found!!”_

I blinked. “What is it?”

_“So I went to check on Lydia, like you said, and she’s_ out _of it. Like,_ out _of it. But anyway, that’s not the point. Her phone rang and then I tried to pick it up, but then I found something. A video. She was talking a few selfies outside the video store, and she ended up recording this... I’m sending you the video right now, okay?”_

“Sure,” I replied. I pulled my phone away just as it  _pinged_ with a file. I pulled it open and jumped when I saw the large, wolf-like creature with blazing red eyes charging. “Oh my God,” I said into the phone.

_“Yeah,”_ Stiles answered _. “I’m trying to call Scott, but he’s not picking up his damn phone. Talk to you later, okay?”_

“M’kay,” I said. “Bye, Stiles.”

_“Bye, Sindy.”_

I hung up and let out a heavy sigh.

“What was it?” Derek asked from the other side of the table. I looked up at him curiously. “Your heart rate picked up.”

I found the file and slid my phone over to the werewolf. He took it and played the video. I watched as his face go from impassive to angry in a split second. He placed the phone down after typing in a few commands, undoubtedly sending it to himself.

He placed the phone back on the table and he said, “This is what you saw.”

I nodded. “Is… is that the Alpha?”

“It was,” Derek confirmed. “Alphas have red eyes.” He stood up abruptly and stalked away. I could hear some shuffling around down the hall and decided to clean up before joining him.

After I finished the last of my fries and threw everything away in a nearby trash can. I stepped out into the hallway, almost tripping over my feet when I was the sight that graced my presence: Derek.

But that wasn’t the thing that stopped me.

It was of Derek  _shirtless_ . His back was to me, displaying the triskele tattoo that I had seen in the animal clinic and the other day. He was doing them at a rapid pace, burning off all his energy.

He suddenly dropped to the floor, doing multiple push-ups in a span of a few seconds. He even did one handed push-ups and I held back the small sound that was caught on my throat when I saw his back muscles contort with each movement.

Just as sudden as he dropped to the floor, he froze. He got back onto his feet quickly and looked at me. He ordered, “Get upstairs, now.”

I didn’t hesitate to run up the stairs, trusting him completely. I hid behind the wall of the hallway just as the front door was kicked open roughly. I cringed, gripping the jacket tightly.

“No one home,” I heard a male voice say.

“Oh, he’s here,” a rough, female voice said. “He’s just not feeling particularly hospitable.”

“Maybe he’s out, burying a bone in the backyard,” another male voice said.

“ _Really_ ?” the female scoffed. “A dog joke? We’re going there and  _that_ ’s the best you got? If you wanna provoke him, say something like… too bad your sister  _bit it_ before she had her first litter.”

I clenched my fists tightly. I didn’t even  _know_ Derek’s sister, but felt that she didn’t deserve this disrespect this woman was giving.

“Too bad she  _howled_ like a  _bitch_ when we  **_cut her in half_ ** !” the woman yelled.

A deafening growl/roar echoed through the house, but it filled me with relief, even if it was supposed to terrify.

I heard a yell and then a  _thud_ , and knew Derek had just thrown one of the hunters across the room. I peeked out from the side just in time to see Derek against the wall, growling at the hunters, who were on the other side, in the (once a) game room.

Derek launched himself over the railings of the stairs and into the room, and I could hear another thud. Another growl sounded and then a  _thud_ .

Against my smart judgment, I slowly took steps down the stairs.

“ _Wow_ ,” the woman’s voice said. “This one grew up in all the right places. I don’t know whether to kill it or… lick it.”

I peered behind the wall just as I saw Derek try to attack a light brunette woman, who laughed and stabbed him with something.

“Nine-hundred  _thousand_ volts,” she chuckled, looking at her weapon. “You never were good with electricity, were you? Or fire. Which is why I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. And, well, maybe we can help each other out.” She sat down smugly and Derek was still on the ground, refusing to meet her gaze as the aftershocks still ran through his veins.

“Yes, your sister was severed into pieces and used as bait to try to catch you. Unpleasant, and frankly, a little too…  _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_ for my taste, but quite true. Now, here’s the part that might really kill you in your new balls – We didn’t kill her. You think I’m lying?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Derek snarked back, leaning against a wall, glowering at her.

“ _Tsk_ , sweetie,” the woman clicked her tongue. “Well…” she approached Derek, “why don’t you listen to my heart and tell me if I am. Okay? We… Didn’t… Kill… Your… Sister… Do you hear that? There’s no blips or upticks. Just the steady beat of the cold, hard truth.”

She stood back up and looked down at Derek. “We found bite marks on your sister’s body, Derek. What do you think did that? A mountain lion? Why aren’t we helping each other out? You might as well admit what you’ve been guessing all along, which is, the Alpha killed your sister. And all you have to do is tell us who he is, and we’ll take care of it for you. Problem solved, everybody goes home happy.” Then she realized something. I hid before she could see me. “Unless… you don’t know who he is either. Wow. Guess who just became totally useless?”

Derek suddenly shot up, grabbing me as he ran off, leading us into the woods. I could hear the bullets ricocheting off the walls after us, and when he realized the hunters weren’t chasing after us, he stopped.

He glowered at the house, and I saw his fists clenched tightly.

“… Derek…?” I asked softly. He looked down at me, his eyes clouded in anger. “Was that… was that… the woman…?”

“Kate Argent,” Derek growled. “The woman I so stupidly believed I loved.”

I frowned, reaching forward, but was hurt to see him pull back, taking a step away from me.

“Derek…?”

He closed his eyes, moving his head to look up at the sky before taking a deep breath. He angled his head back down at me, and he looked at me with an unreadable expression.

“Derek, talk to me.”

Still nothing.

I sighed heavily. “Is this the part where you tell me to stay away? Because you can’t afford and can’t give me anything?  _Hm_ ? Should I walk away now, before I end up getting hurt, because you’re so emotionally withdrawn that you can’t bear to let anyone in ever again?”

My heart tugged, and I placed a hand over it, gripping my chest tightly to stop the pain that was searing through my body.

“I…” Derek started. “I can’t stay away from you,” he said. “I don’t know why, but I’m  _drawn_ to you. I can’t give you anything, which is true, but you, like the naïve little sixteen-year-old girl you are, trust me so whole-heartedly.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“You’re so innocent, so untainted,” Derek said, taking a step towards me. I backed up instinctively. “You don’t know pain like I do.” Another step. “You don’t know what it’s like to be completely betrayed by someone you thought you loved.” Another step.

I found myself backed up against a large tree, and Derek pinned his hands on either side of my head onto the trunk.

“Did you know that wolves like me eat squirrels like you?” he asked, his voice a centimeter away from my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

My eyes widened in shock, as a dark smirk graced his features. It sent a shiver – a good one – down my spine.

“That’s right, little squirrel,” he said, his lips a hair away from mine. “You try to run, I’ll hunt you down, capture you, and consume every little bit of you. Just… like… this.”

Without warning, he slammed his lips against mine so powerfully it actually hurt, but I relished in it.

If this was how it was going to be, I’ll let him consume every bit of me.


	10. Anchor

**WEDNESDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 2, 2011**

I sat in Econ class, totally bored out of my mind.

I was sitting right behind Stiles, since there were very few seats left when I got to class. Stiles, unfortunately, lost the seat behind Scott to Allison, so he was sitting diagonally behind Scott.

“I’m surprised Allison hasn’t noticed he’s avoiding her,” I mused, leaning forward to talk to my brother. “Do you really think it’s best that it’s like this, though?”

Scott had informed us that because he couldn’t protect our dad Monday night, he went to Derek for help to control his strength. That, however, wasn’t a good enough answer for Stiles, so Stiles stole Finstock’s heart monitor, and during our free period, he took Scott out to monitor his status.

I wasn’t there myself, but I heard the results weren’t that happy…

“We’ve gotta keep his pulse from rising,” Stiles said, leaning back, but still looking straight ahead. “And Allison makes his pulse accelerate.”

“I-I just don’t wanna bring your grade down,” I heard Scott say.

“Well, maybe I could bring your grade up,” Allison replied.

Stiles heaved out a small sigh, and I could tell he was just rolling his eyes. I heard Allison come up with a date with Scott at 8:30 tonight, but before Scott could reply, Finstock slammed a book down on his desk.

“Let’s start with a quick summary of last night’s reading,” he announced. Immediately, Greenberg’s hand shot up. “Greenberg, put your hand down, everybody knows you did the reading.” He looked around before saying, “How about… McCall?”

Scott looked up. “What?”

“The reading,” Finstock said.

“Last night’s reading?”

Oh God. He didn’t read last night. I groaned softly, draping myself over the desk. Stiles echoed my quiet call of hopelessness.

“How about the reading of the Gettysburg Address?” Finstock questioned dryly, causing some students to laugh.

I didn’t have to look at Scott to know he was confused. “What?”

“That’s sarcasm,” Finstock told him. “You familiar with the term ‘sarcasm’, McCall?”

Scott looked back to Stiles. “Very.”

“Aw,  _shucks_ ,” Stiles said softly, tossing me a grin. I smiled back in return.

“Did you do the reading or not?” Finstock demanded.

“Uh – I think I forgot,” Scott replied.

“Nice work, McCall!” Finstock exclaimed. “It’s not like you’re averaging a  _D_ in this class.” He leaned forward to talk to Scott, “Come on, buddy. You know I can’t keep you on the team if you have a D. How about you summarize, uh, the previous night’s reading?” Scott shook his head. “No? How about the night before that? How about you summarize anything you’ve ever read – in your entire life?”

Throughout the entire questioning, I could hear the soft beeping of the heart monitor from the phone Stiles took. I leaned forward, glancing at it. It was rapidly increasing, from 99 beats per minute to 145 and growing as Finstock continued to be on his back.

“No? A blog? How about – how about – how about the back of a cereal box? No? How about the  _Adults Only_ warning from your favorite website you visit every night? Anything?”

I glanced down at the monitor worriedly. This was  _not good_ .

“Thank you, McCall, thank you.  _Thank you, McCall_ !” Finstock pounded on his desk. “ _Thank you_ for extinguishing  _any_ .  _Last. **Flicker**_ of hope I have for your generation! You just blew it for everybody. Thanks. Next practice, you can start with suicide runs. Unless that’s too much reading.”

I perked up when I noticed something strange. Scott’s heartbeat suddenly went from 163 and started to steadily decline. I looked at Scott to see what had changed.

Nothing looked particularly different, until my eyes dropped. To the side of the desks, Allison’s hand was holding Scott’s comfortingly, assuring that it was alright.

I slapped Stiles’s back, making him jump a bit. “Look down there,” I hissed quietly, hoping he’d see the entwined hands.

“It’s her…” Stiles said quietly. I nodded, even though he couldn’t see.

For the rest of the period, Finstock didn’t call on Scott, and Stiles was completely antsy, eager to tell Scott the news.

When the bell rang to signal class had ended, I jumped up, gathering my stuff. I had some questions to ask.

“It’s her,” Stiles declared as we left the room.

Scott looked around curiously. “What do you mean?”

“It’s Allison,” I supplied, walking next to him. “Remember what you told us about the night of the full moon? You were thinking about protecting her, right?”

“Yeah… okay…” Scott said, nodding slowly.

“Remember the night of the first lacrosse game?” Stiles added. “You said you could hear her voice out on the field.”

“Yeah, I did,” Scott immediately got into defensive mode.

Stiles went on to explain how Allison kept him sane, “And then, after the game in the locker room, you didn’t try to kill her. At least, not like how you were trying to kill Sindy and me. She brings you back, is what I’m saying.”

“No, no, no,” Scott denied. “But it’s not always true, because literally, every time I’m kissing her or touching her–”

“No, that’s when you’re just acting like another normal, hormonal teenaged guy,” I interrupted.

“Yeah, you’re just thinking about sex,” Stiles agreed. Scott then got this stupid grin on his face. I face-palmed myself while Stiles deadpanned, “You’re thinking about sex right now, aren’t you?”

Scott had the gull to just continue smiling and admitted, “Yeah. Sorry.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s okay. I grew up with you guys. Anyway, back in the classroom, she was holding your hand. That was made the difference. She doesn’t make you weak, Scott, she gives you control.”

“You mean, because I love her,” Scott said.

“Exactly,” Stiles and I nodded.

Scott looked blank for a second, like he just realized something. “Did I just say that?”

Stiles and I exchanged looks. “Yes. Yes, you did just say that,” we told him.

“I love her.” Scott got this goofy grin on his face. It made me want to smack him for being so dense but hug him because he was so cute: like a puppy in love.

Stiles, on the other hand, said, “That’s great. Now, moving on–”

“No, no, no,” Scott shook his head. “Really. I think I’m totally in love with her.”

“And that’s…” Stiles searched for the right word, “beautiful. Now, before you go off and write a sonnet, can we figure this out, please? Because you obviously can’t be around her all the time.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Scott said. “So, what do I do?”

“I don’t know…” Stiles shook his head. “Yet,” he added as an afterthought. Of course. Stiles  _always_ came up with an idea eventually.

Stiles looked blank for a second, staring off into space.

“Oh, no,” Scott recognized the look on my brother’s face. “You’re getting an idea, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded.

“Is this idea gonna get me in trouble?”

“Maybe.”

“Is this idea gonna cause me physical pain?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely. Come on.” He patted Scott’s arm before walking off. Scott sighed heavily, trekking after his best friend.

The two started walking away, and it took them a couple seconds before they realized I wasn’t following them. “Sindy?” Stiles asked, turning around. “You coming?”

“Uh… nah,” I shook my head. “I’m gonna… do some more research.”

Stiles and Scott exchanged looks. Oh, I knew those looks. Stiles frowned. “You’re going to  _him_ again, aren’t you?”

“I’m trying to find methods that  _don’t_ involve Scott being physically harmed,” I quipped. I spun my heel around and began to walk away, shoes moving smoothly over the tiles.

I climbed into my car, turning on the engine. I took off from school, heading straight for the Hale house.

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up to the burnt house. The house no longer gave me chills. Instead, I felt like this was the one place I could relax and get away from everything.

I opened the front door, glancing around at the dusty floorboards. “Derek?” I called. “You home?”

“Don’t you know to knock?” came my reply. My eyes followed to where the voice came from. Standing at the top of the stairs, clad in his dark clothing, this time with a navy Henley, was Derek Hale, werewolf extraordinaire.

“I do, but I figured you wouldn’t answer anyway, so I just let myself in,” I responded, walking up the stairs.

Derek looked at me blankly. “What do you want?”

“I have some questions regarding control,” I said, leaning against the old railing. It was sturdy enough, and if I fell, Derek would catch me… hopefully.

“What are you and that idiot trying to do to Scott?” Derek asked.

“Is there anything about someone else giving the werewolf control?” I chose not to answer his question, wanting my answers first.

“What do you mean?”

“Can you stop answering my questions with questions?” I sighed. “I mean, today in class, Scott’s heart rate – we, and by ‘ _we_ ’, I mean Stiles, stole the coach’s heart monitor to check up on Scott’s heart rate – was spiking up because the coach was being a jerk again. We thought Scott was going to change, because he wasn’t calming down, but then Scott’s heart rate began to slow down. I looked down and saw that Allison’s hand was holding his, so I was wondering if there was any way someone  _else_ could  _give_ that person control over their wolf.”

“Sounds like he’s found an anchor,” Derek replied, leaning against the wall across from me. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“What’s an anchor?” I asked.

“An anchor is something – something meaningful to us – that we bind ourselves to in order to keep ourselves in control. To keep our human side in control,” Derek explained. “Allison is Scott’s anchor.”

If that was the case, then Derek  _had_ to have an anchor. He was always so in control. “Who’s  _your_ anchor?” I inquired, almost scared to know the answer. As selfish as it was, especially since there was  _nothing_ between Derek and I, I didn’t want another female being Derek’s anchor.

“Anger,” he told me. “It isn’t always a physical being that is one’s anchor.” I mentally let out a sigh of relief. He must’ve heard the change in my heartbeat, because he quirked an eyebrow at me. “Can’t handle the competition?”

I don’t know what came over me, but I boldly pushed myself off the railing, walking straight towards Derek. “Hm… an alleged murderer and confirmed werewolf… Girls must be  _lining_ up for you,” I commented, running a finger against his chest. I could feel the lines of his muscles perfectly and they contracted under my touch.

Before I could tease him any further, he suddenly grabbed me, spinning me around so quickly so I was pinned against the wall. The wind was all but knocked out of me, but he caught the gasp with his mouth, blocking me between the wall and him. I stood on my toes, throwing my arms around his neck, pulling him down to me.

He released my mouth and I gasped, taking in a much needed gulp of air. He nudged his face between my neck and I angled it to the side, allowing him to gain access to the area. I heard him inhale deeply, taking in my scent, before something wet and warm coat a spot on my neck.

My heart beat spiked and I felt his grip on my waist tighten, but not quite enough to hurt me. His thumb, calloused yet soft, rubbed against the skin that was exposed from where my shirt bunched up.

I angled my head against, going straight for his lips.

When air became a necessity, we both pulled away again. I gasped for breath heavily, my heart going a thousand beats per second.

“There…” I sighed out, trying to regain the oxygen in my brain. “There is no competition,” I concluded.

Derek smirked, before leaning down. He rested his head on my shoulder, inhaling deeply once more before pulling back.

His eyes then hardened and he said, “Come with me.”

Curious, I walked off, heading outside with him. “Where are we going?”

“To visit my uncle,” he told me. “I need to talk to him about something.”

“Wait!” I exclaimed, making Derek turn back to look at me. When he prompted for me to continue, I asked, “Do you think we could stop by my house? So I can drop off my car first?”

Without a word, Derek got into his car, turning on the engine. I took that as a yes, so I climbed into my own car, driving off to my house first.

Derek’s car followed closely behind me the entire time, and when I got home, I noticed Stiles wasn’t home yet. It made me wonder just what the hell those two guys were up to.

I threw my car keys in my bag, not bothering to put them away before walking over to Derek’s Camaro. I slid into the passenger seat, and once I had my seatbelt on, he took off.

He parked in front of the hospital, and led the way to his uncle’s room in the burned ward. I didn’t really know what he was doing, so I just kept following him.

Once we got to Peter’s room, he sat down in front of his uncle, swiveling him so the two could look at each other. I stood awkwardly at the entrance, not really sure what to do.

“I need your help,” Derek said to his comatose uncle. “If you can hear me, I need you to give me a sign. Blink. Raise a finger. Anything. Just… just something to point me in the right direction, okay?”

It looked like it was difficult for Derek to speak, but he continued to do so. “Someone killed Laura, your niece. Laura? Whoever he is, he’s an Alpha now. But he’s one without a pack, which means he’s not as strong. I can take him, but I have to find him first. Look, if you know something, just give me a sign. Is it one of us? Someone else make it out of the fire? Just give me anything. Blink. Raise a finger. Anything.  _Say something_ !”

Derek’s temper ran short and he grabbed his uncle tightly.

“Let him go!” I heard someone exclaim, and I practically jumped a mile. I swiveled around to see a nurse standing behind me. “You think after six years of this, yelling at him is going to get a response?”

“Got a better method?” Derek challenged.

“Patience,” the nurse said. “He’ll respond if you give him the time.”

Derek glanced at me before telling the nurse, “I don’t have any more time.” He stormed out of the room so quickly I felt the wind hit me.

“Derek!” I exclaimed, running after him. “Derek!”

“What?!” Derek snapped, whirling around once we were outside.

“I- I just wanted you to wait up…” I said.

Derek sighed heavily, before walking to his car. He climbed into the driver’s seat and I got into the passenger’s. Derek started the car and drove off, this time, to a destination I wasn’t sure of.

“The… the fire,” I said cautiously.

“What about it?” Derek snapped.

“Y- you said the Argents started it… but… how? How’d they find out about you?” I asked. “Allison’s dad didn’t attack you that night at the gas station, but… but he knew who you were. How?”

Derek looked at me from the corner of his eyes for a second before saying, “Because of me.”

“Wh- what do you mean by that? Did you shift in front of them or something?”

“Or something,” Derek said bitterly. “I was stupid. A complete idiot. Now that I think about it, all of the signs were there.” I waited quietly, not sure if he was going to elaborate. “Six years ago, the house was set on fire, and it was all my fault. I was stupid and young, but those were no excuses.”

I saw him grip the steering wheel tightly, and I was afraid he might break it. Just as I was fearing that, his grip loosened and he sighed, frustrated. “She was beautiful, sexy, and older,” he told me. “At least, that’s what I thought six years ago. Now I see nothing more than a disgusting, ugly, lying piece of bitchery. But I was seventeen years old, and I just thought that this sexy, older woman wanted  _me_ . All the signs were there. She always asked me about my family, wanting to know more about them than actually me. Then, one day, when I was in school with my sister, I get called out of class. My house was on fire… ten people died, and the eleventh one was left severely burnt and comatose.”

I began to slowly piece who he was referring to. “Was it Kate Argent?” Derek didn’t verbally reply, but the clench of his jaw confirmed it. “Didn’t like her anyway,” I mumbled. She didn’t exactly give me positive vibes when I went to Allison’s house the other day. Derek snorted. Then I realized something, “It’s a good thing I’m younger than you, huh?” That got the reaction I wanted.

Derek smirked. “Guess so.”

The sun had fully set by the time we arrived at our destination.

“The animal clinic?” I inquired curiously, peering up at Derek.

“Stay in the car,” he ordered me. He opened his door and slammed it shut, walking into the clinic. I sighed heavily, leaning back in the smooth leather seats.

I don’t know how long I was there, but I suddenly froze when I noticed a figure arriving on a bike. I popped open the car door and exclaimed, “Scott!”

“Sindy?” he looked at me, confused. “What are you doing here?” He noticed the car and his eyes narrowed. “Where’s Derek?”

“In the –” I didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence, because Scott stormed into the clinic, leaving me alone outside.

Not liking that  _both_ werewolves left me alone, I went inside the clinic just in time to hear Scott yell, “Stop! Stop!”

I went to the back to hear Derek explain, “When he’s conscious, he can keep himself from healing, but unconscious, he can’t.”

“A-are you out of your mind?!” Scott yelled. “What are you talking about?”

“You want to know what the spiral means, Scott? It’s our sign for vendetta, for revenge. It means he won’t stop killing until he’s satisfied.”

“Wai-wai-wait!” I interrupted, entering the room. Both werewolves snapped at attention to me. “You think  _he’s_ the Alpha?” I gestured to the unconscious Deaton.

“We’re about to find out,” Derek said. Then he glared at me, “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the car?”

“I don’t take orders without explanations well,” I responded, crossing my arms, showing that I wasn’t going to budge.

Derek let out an annoyed sigh before going to punch Deaton again. His arm, however, was stopped by Scott, now transformed. He let out a menacing growl, which caused Derek to back away, but just in shock.

I instinctively did, as well, because Scott just transformed willingly. Was his control getting better? I watched as he slowly transformed back before he threatened, “Hit him again, and you’ll see me get angry.”

“Um… since we’re not entirely sure Deaton’s the Alpha, yet, should we… take care of his wounds?” I asked, walking closer to the guys.

“Wh- oh, yeah, yeah,” Scott nodded. “Lemme go get the first aid kit.” He glared at Derek saying, “If you touch  _any_ of them…”

“Relax,” Derek scoffed. “I won’t.”

“The second there’s trouble,” Scott ignored Derek, turning to me, “you  _run_ , got that?”

“He’s not gonna hurt me, Scott. I think if he could’ve, he would’ve already,” I rolled my eyes. “Just go get the kit.” Scott narrowed his eyes at Derek for a few more seconds before stalking off.

I spotted a piece of paper on the floor and bent down to pick it up. It was a picture of a dead deer with a spiral, similar to how Scott drew what the Alpha did on his window, on its side.

“What is this…?” I asked Derek.

“My sister came to Beacon Hills after stumbling across that picture,” Derek told me. “When she hadn’t contacted me in weeks, I knew something was wrong, so I came back here… only to find her upper half. She was killed by the Alpha, and I wanna know who it is so I can kill him myself.”

Before I could reply, Scott walked back in. He made a small sigh of relief when he realized Derek hadn’t harmed us and proceeded to clean up Deaton’s cups.

“Do you have a plan?” Derek asked, approaching Scott.

“Just give me an hour,” Scott said.

“Then what?” Derek pushed.

“Meet me at the school,” Scott told him, “in the parking lot.” He spared a glance at me and said, “You go with him. I need someone I can trust.”

I mock-saluted Scott. We waited for him to finish taking care of Deaton before he left. Before he left, though, Scott gave Derek a glare before biking off, most likely to Stiles’s house.

Derek slung the unconscious Deaton over his shoulder. He handed me the keys to his car and said, “Pop open the front seat. We’re putting him in the back.”

I nodded, taking the keys before unlocking the car. I pushed the passenger seat back, and watched as Derek all but threw him into the backseat.

I winced. That did  _not_ sound comfortable. “If I’m ever tied up and knocked unconscious, are you going to do that to me, too?” Derek gave me a pointed look. “What? It’s just a question. I’m already hanging out with werewolves, it’s only a matter of time.”

“Don’t jinx yourself,” Derek murmured quietly before taking the keys from my hand. I slid the seat back in its place before sitting down.

Even though the meeting time was an hour, Derek arrived at the school in half an hour, after we stopped by to get a quick dinner break.

Stiles and Scott were already there and when I exited the car, Stiles went over to me and hugged me. “Oh, my God, are you okay? He didn’t do anything to you, did he? I swear, if he did, just say the word and I’ll–”

“Relax, she’s fine,” Derek interrupted him. “And I don’t think you’re in a position to be making threats towards me.”

“Where’s my boss?” Scott demanded.

“He’s in the back,” Derek informed.

Stiles peered into the back window, focusing to look through the tinted lens. “Oh… well… he looks…  _comfortable_ .”

Scott nudged Stiles and the boys turned to walk into the school. “What are you two planning?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Derek said I was linked with the Alpha,” Scott said simply. “I’m gonna see if he’s right. Stay with him.”

“It’s not like I have a choice, now do I?” I asked, not expecting an answer.

“Nope,” Scott responded, pushing open the school doors with Stiles.  _Right_ . Werewolf hearing.

I leaned against Derek’s sleek car, unsure of what to do. I looked up at Derek through my lashes and saw him staring at me. I felt my heart skip a beat and a heat rise to my cheeks. “What?” I consciously reached for my face. Did I have some sauce from my burger on my face?

Derek simply walked to me, trapping me between him and his car. He reached up, his right palm resting on my cheek. I leaned into his touch, feeling his slightly calloused skin against my smooth. He leaned down, kissing me not softly, but not rough like we usually did either. It was… different.

His hand snaked to my nape, grabbing it not too tightly, but enough so he could control my actions.

I let him dominate me, allowing him to move my neck to the side, exposing the flesh to him. He growled softly at my submission and trailed down my jaw. I could feel his fangs were elongated, but just as soon as I felt them, they retracted so they were back to normal.

I caught his lips again, and just as my tongue was about to enter his mouth, a horrible, screeching sound came from the intercom, echoing through the entire expanse.

Derek broke away and let out an annoyed scoff, closing his eyes in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I couldn’t help but feel the laugh bubble in my chest. “W-was that…?” I choked out, unable to hold my laughter.

“Scott’s howl? Yeah,” Derek nodded reluctantly, sighing heavily when the last of Scott’s “howl” struggled out for another second.

The laughter escaped my lips and if it weren’t for Derek being pressed against me, I would’ve crouched down on the ground, unable to hold myself.

Just then, a spine-chilling growl echoed through the school and my laughter abruptly stopped. I jumped in shock and instinctively grabbed onto Derek’s jacket. It was so terrifying I could feel it shake the entire school.

Derek grabbed me, pulling me to his chest, his body tense. When the growl ended, I looked up at Derek, wide-eyed. “R-remind me not to piss off both of you…” I said quietly.

“You’re not supposed to piss off a werewolf,  _period_ ,” Derek retorted, letting me go.

The doors opened again and Stiles and Scott came walking out, grinning at each other. Derek whirled around, threatening, “I’m gonna kill  _both_ of you! What the hell was that?!” He turned to Scott, scolding, “What are you trying to do, attract the entire state to the school?”

“Sorry, I didn’t know it’d be that loud,” Scott shrugged.

I walked over to where Stiles was, slapping him over the head. “Ow!” Stiles exclaimed, holding his head. “C’mon, it was loud and it was  _awesome_ , Sindy!”

“It scared the  _crap_ out of me is what it was!” I retorted.

“Hey,” Stiles recognized something, looking down at me curiously. “Why’s your hair messed up? It wasn’t like this earlier…” He reached up, touching my hair. “It’s almost like…” He grabbed the back of my neck softly, angling me similar to how Derek did earlier, except he didn’t lean in… which is good, because he’s my brother.

His face blanched in disgust. “Oh, oh,  _oh_ !” he exclaimed. “Oh my  _God_ !” he cried, pulling back like he was in shock. Stiles spun to Derek. “Really, Derek?  _Really_ ? My  _sister_ ?!” He groaned, burying his face in his hands.

“Shut up,” Derek responded.

“Wait, wait, what’d you do with him?” Scott suddenly said, looking at the car.

“What?” Derek asked, turning around to look into the car as well. “I didn’t do anything,” he said when he realized Deaton was gone.

Scott looked at me, asking for answers. I raised both my hands up in surrender. “He really didn’t.”

Out of nowhere, blood suddenly spurted from Derek’s mouth and he was lifted up into the air. I backed up in shock as black blood began to pour out of his mouth, splashing on my shirt, causing a black stain, and I couldn’t hold back the scream that escaped my lips.

“Derek!” I cried.

“Sindy! Sindy, let’s go!” the boys grabbed my hands, but I couldn’t move. Scott, taking matters into his own hands, scooped me up, throwing me over his shoulders.

I watched with horror as the Alpha threw Derek against the wall, and Derek fell to the ground, unmoving. “Derek!” I cried again, just as I was taken into the school.

Scott quickly put me down and he and Stiles held the door shut, effectively leaving the Alpha outside… with Derek.


	11. Night School

**WEDNESDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 2, 2011**

“Oh my God…” I gasped, my whole body shaking furiously. “D-Derek…” It was getting harder to breathe.

“Sindy,” Stiles said. “Sindy! Sindy, listen to me!” I gasped, a hand going to my throat to help me breathe. “Sindy! Can you hear me?” I nodded, my eyes blurry. “Listen to me: Breathe in… Breathe out… Breathe in… Breathe out…” I did as he said, and I felt the constricting grip around my larynx slowly dissipate.

“We need to lock this!” Scott exclaimed, snapping me out of my daze. I turned my head towards him, and wiped away at the moisture that was around my eyes.

“What? You think I have a key?” Stiles snapped at his best friend.

“Grab something!”

“What?!”

“ _Anything_ !”

Realization popped into my brother’s head as he perked up, suddenly peering outside the window of the door. Scott peered out the window, but I just pulled back, stepping away from the door.

Derek was dead…

Oh my God…

“Stiles,  _no_ !” I heard Scott protest, and looked up. My eyes widened in shock when I saw Stiles slip between the doors.

I ran to the door, going to open it, but Scott pulled me back. “Scott, let me  _go_ !” I protested, pushing against his arms.

“ _Wait_ !” Scott exclaimed. “Just calm down, Sindy! You’re not thinking properly!”

“You don’t need to tell me that!” I snapped, shrugging his grip off me. “Derek’s  _dead_ , Scott! And now Stiles is out there!” Even though I was yelling at him, something caught the young werewolf’s attention, as his grip loosened slightly.

I furrowed my brows in confusion, until he yelled, “Run, Stiles!”

I pulled open the door, just in time for Stiles to enter. He slammed the bolt cutter against the door handles and we all peered outside the window to look for the Alpha.

“That won’t hold, will it?” Scott asked after a couple of seconds.

“Probably not,” Stiles and I chorused. The three of us backed away from the door, looking at our surroundings.

There was a howl in the distance, and the three of us took off running down the hallways. We ran into the closest room and I closed the door while the guys headed to the teacher’s desk.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Stiles protested. “Stop. The door’s not gonna keep it out.”

“I know,” Scott replied, going to push the desk again.

“It’s your boss,” I said, pressing my back against the door, even though it wouldn’t do much.

“What?”

“Deaton, the Alpha?” Stiles replied. “Your boss.”

“No!” Scott protested, shaking his head.

“ _Yes_ !” Stiles and I exclaimed. My  _God_ he had a stubborn, hard head.

“Murdering, psycho-werewolf!” Stiles added just for kicks.

“That can’t be!”

“Oh,  _come on_ !” Stiles snapped. “He disappears, and that thing shows up ten seconds later to toss Derek twenty feet through the air? That’s not convenient timing?”

“It’s not him,” Scott shook his head.

“He killed  _Derek_ , Scott,” I snapped.

“No, Derek’s not dead,” Scott replied. “He can’t be dead.”

“Blood spurted out of his mouth, okay?” Stiles said. “That doesn’t exactly qualify as a minor injury.” My eyes flashed back to Derek being held above us, black blood spraying out of his mouth. I shut my eyes. “He’s dead, and we’re  _next_ .”

“Okay!” Scott accepted. “Just… what do we do?”

“We get to my jeep, we get out of here, and you seriously think about quitting your job, good?” Stiles listed. We all ran to the window, hoping to see the Alpha still nod there.

Scott went to open the door, but I stopped him. “They don’t open,” I said. “The school’s climate-controlled.”

“Then we break it,” Scott suggested. I wanted to slap his head.

“Which will make a lot of noise,” Stiles pointed out.

“Then… uh… then we run really fast.  _Really_ fast,” Scott said, scanning the world outside the window. “… Stiles, what’s wrong with the hood of your jeep?”

“What do mean? Nothing’s wrong,” Stiles furrowed his eyebrows, confused. I looked for his jeep, and squinted, unable to see anything wrong with it.

“It’s bent,” Scott pointed out.

“What, like, dented?” I asked. I seriously didn’t see anything. I squinte.

“No, I mean  _bent_ .”

I squinted harder, and finally saw it. “What the hell–” Stiles started, but was cut off by the glass shattering. He pushed me down, shielding me from the flying glass as something landed with a heavy  _thud_ in the classroom.

Stiles shone his flashlight to the object, revealing it full of scratch marks. “That’s my battery…” he realized. He went to make a move, but Scott pushed him down.

_“Don’t_ ,” he whispered harshly.

“We have to move.”

“He could be right outside.”

“He  _is_ right outside,” I hissed lowly.

“Just let me take a look,” Scott said. He reached up, peering out the window. It felt like we were breathing  _really_ heavily.

“See anything?” Stiles urged.

“No,” Scott shook his head.

“Move now?” Stiles asked.

“Move now,” Scott confirmed. As quickly as we could, we scrambled out of the classroom, stepping over the shards of broken glass. We stepped into the hallway, and tried to figure out which way to go. “This way,” Scott started, but was stopped by Stiles. “What?”

“Somewhere without windows,” Stiles said. I nodded in agreement. Without windows, there would be less of a chance for the Alpha to get us.

“Every single room in this building has windows,” Scott retorted.

“Somewhere with  _less_ windows,” I edited.

“The locker room,” Scott suggested. We nodded in agreement and Stiles grabbed my hand before we briskly walked off. My hand gripped Stiles’s tightly, and Stiles squeezed back reassuringly, but still kept his eyes focused ahead.

We scrambled into the room, and shut the door behind us.

“Call your dad,” Scott whispered to us.

“And tell him  _what_ ?” Stiles retorted, shining the flashlight with his other hand.

“I don’t know,” Scott exasperatedly sighed. “ _Anything_ . Gas leak, fire, whatever. If that thing sees the parking lot filled with cop cars, it’ll take off?”

I frowned. “What makes you so sure it’ll do that?” Scott glowered at me, asking me silently why I had to challenge him. Well,  _duh_ , Scott always thought about short-term things, never long-term.

“Yeah,” Stiles agreed. “What if it decides to go completely Terminator and kills every cop in sight, including our dad?”

“They have guns!”

“Yeah, and Derek had to be shot with a wolfsbane-laced bullet to even slow him down, you remember that?” Stiles retorted.

“Can we  _not_ talk about Derek getting hurt?” I asked, my stomach churning painfully. “It’s making me nauseous.”

My question was, of course, ignored. “We have to find a way out and just run for it, then,” Scott declared.

“There’s nothing near the school for at least a mile.”

“What about Derek’s car?”

“That could work,” my brother agreed. “We go outside, we get the keys off his body, and then we take his car.”

“And him,” I insisted. “We take his… we take him, too.” I refused to believe he was dead.

Stiles looked down at me, giving me a  _“Really?”_ look on his face. I squeezed his hand tightly enough to make him wince. “Okay, okay, fine. Whatever.”

We walked around the locker room, trying to find a way to escape. I reached for the doorknob, but Scott quickly wrapped his hand around my wrist tightly.

“What?” I whispered to him urgently. Scott’s face was focused, but his eyes were off in a distance.

“I think I heard something.”

“Like what?” Stiles urged.

“ _Shh_ !” Scott hushed before looking at the blurry glass. We slowly backed away. “Hide!” he ordered.

I bit my lip painfully to keep from crying out when Stiles suddenly tugged at me, opening a locker and throwing me inside it. I heard Stiles enter another one and then Scott climbed into an empty one as well.

The door opened slowly and I held my breath, my muscles tensing like crazy. I saw a figure moving towards the locker Scott climbed into, and then a scream.

Without even thinking, I threw myself out the locker, and Stiles tried to hush the janitor that was there.

“Quiet!” we warned.

“Quiet, my ass!” he yelled loudly. “What the hell were you trying to do? Kill me?! The three of you, get out!”

“Will you just listen for half a second, okay?!” my brother whisper-yelled impatiently.

“Not okay!” the janitor insisted. “Get the hell out of here, right  _now_ .”

“God, just one second to explain,” Stiles insisted as we were ushered out of the room.

“Just shut up and go-”

I jumped in shock when the janitor was suddenly pulled back inside the locker room, the door slamming shut. I saw his silhouette from behind the blurry glass and blood smeared all over it as he screamed in pain.

Shaking myself out of the daze, I went to grab Scott, who wanted to go  _inside_ the room. Stiles and I pulled Scott away from the door, knowing the janitor was a lost cause, and took off, just as I heard a heavy thud from the locker room.

We ran through the hallways, with me just a little bit ahead of the boys because of my speed. I wasn’t on the varsity cross country team for no reason.

I all but threw myself at the doors, quickly joined by Stiles and Scott, but we were met with resistance. “What the hell-?” I asked, pushing against the door.

Scott poked his head out from the small crack we made and reported, “It’s a dumpster.”

“He pushed it in front of the door to block us in,” Stiles told us. He pounded against the door roughly, causing the bangs to echo through the empty hallways. “Come on, help me.”

I fell back, landing on the cold ground. “We’re gonna die here…” I mumbled. “We’re gonna die.”

“Stop!” Scott growled, pulling Stiles away.

“Look, Sindy’s right, okay?!” Stiles exclaimed. “If we don’t get out of here, we’re gonna die here. I’m not dying here, Scott! I’m not dying at school.”

“We’re not gonna die,” Scott refuted. He looked down at me and hoisted me up easily, “Sindy, Sindy, look at me.”

I shook my head, refusing to meet his gaze. Derek… Derek was dead. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was true. The stain on my shirt was proof of it. It was already drying, and I placed a hand over it.

I could feel the cold, slightly wet feeling against the soft cotton of my shirt, and clenched it tightly, feeling the wetness spread onto my palm.

“Derek…” I choked out.

“… He’s gone, Sindy,” Scott said solemnly. “I’m sorry.”

That wasn’t making things better for me.

“Sindy, you’ve got to listen to me,” Scott said, taking my face in his hands. He angled my head up so I could look at him. I averted my eyes, but he just followed them. “But he wouldn’t want you to die, okay? So we need to focus on getting out of here alive, okay?”

I nodded mutely, and Scott gave me a weak smile. He took my hand in his and he said, “C’mon,” angling his head to the side.

Stiles took my other hand and we walked off, heading down the hallways to find another exit.

“What’s he doing, anyway?” Stiles asked. “What does he want?”

“Me,” Scott told us firmly. “Derek says it’s stronger with a pack.”

“Oh, great,” Stiles rolled his eyes. “A psychotic werewolf who’s into teamwork. That’s – that’s beautiful.”

“Your sarcastic comments are always appreciated,” I commented dryly, sniffling a bit to get rid of the snot that had built up. Stiles tossed me a small grin, but then we were abruptly stopped by Scott.

I turned my head to look at him, but he was focused on something outside the window. I couldn’t see clearly at first, but then something  _huge_ started moving, and moving  _fast_ , and I realized it was the Alpha.

“Oh shit,” I muttered. I let go of the guys’ hands as they released mine, and we moved our arms as we sprinted down the hallway.

I was, of course, the fastest out of all of us, but I moved so fast that I almost slipped and ran into a wall turning to open the door to the stairs. I threw my body against the door, gripping it tightly so I didn’t slip.

Scott pulled me up and we rushed through the door, running down quickly and then opening the door to another floor. It was a damn good thing I decided to wear shoes and not boots today.

My heart pounded in my chest as I ran as fast as my legs would take me, slamming my body against the doors so they’d swing open for me to run through.

Every now and then, I’d crash into a locked door, but the adrenaline kept me moving and just told me to  _keep running_ , no matter how much it hurt to.

I found myself in a hallway of old, rusty, lockers, and Scott and Stiles joined me in hiding behind a row of them. Scott, who was closest to the edge, peered out, and I could hear the low growl of the Alpha.

I winced, trying to calm my heartbeat, but it was no use. The adrenaline was beating so much.

_“Go,”_ Scott mouthed to us inaudibly. I took off, with Stiles right behind me, and Scott pulling up at the rear. We rushed out of the room, and found ourselves in a hallway.

“Alright, we have to do something,” Stiles declared.

“Like what?” Scott and I snapped at him.

“I don’t know,” Stiles threw back. “Kill it, hurt it, inflict mental anguish on it.  _Something_ .” I heard crashing, and winced.

Stiles spotted something and followed his gaze. I then heard some light  _clink_ ing and saw his free hand in his jacket pocket. Immediately, I realized what he was going to do.

Scott, not having the “twin sense” I had, asked what my brother was going to do. Stiles hushed our best friend, and threw the keys in the empty room before pushing us aside.

The Alpha came rushing out the room we were once in, and into the small room Stiles and I were looking into.

Stiles and I slammed our bodies onto the door and Stiles hollered, “The desk! Come on, the desk!” The three of us moved the desk, effectively blocking the Alpha inside the confined room.

The Alpha let out an angry roar, making us jump, but when we realized he couldn’t escape, we gave each other relieved smiles. I collapsed over the desk, breathing heavily.

The desk jolted roughly when the door was behind pounded on, and I jumped up quickly. Right. Still trapped in school. Rest later.

“Get across, come on!” Stiles urged Scott. The werewolf climbed over the large desk, and he and I scanned the place to find a way out.

When I noticed movement in my peripheral vision, I smacked Stiles in the stomach while Scott nudged the boy’s shoulder. “What are you doing?!” we demanded.

“I just wanna get a look at it!”

“Are you  _crazy_ ?!” Scott and I exclaimed. Wow. We could be twins, too. Actually… that’s not something to be proud of. I love Scott and all, but he was as exasperating as my brother sometimes… actually, even more sometimes because of this werewolf-angst.

“Look, it’s trapped, okay? It’s not gonna get out.” He moved to climb onto the desk to peer into the room. Hey, I didn’t say my brother  _wasn’t_ exasperating. “” He looked at the door and taunted, “Yeah, that’s right. We got you-!”

“Will you shut up?” I snapped. My brother, ladies and gentlemen.

“Look, I’m not scared of this thing,” Stiles told me. I saw the shadow of a claw come out and slam against the blurry window, causing my brother to roll off the desk in shock. He quickly stood up and retorted, “I’m not scared of you!”

… Maybe they  _were_ both equally exasperating times a thousand.

“Right, ‘cause you’re in there and we’re out here. You’re not going any-” Stiles’s taunts were put to an abrupt stop when there was a  _huge_ crashing noise from the ceiling inside the small room.

I glanced up, and with the help of Stiles’s flashlight, I could see the ceiling being bent and the tiles falling.  _Shit._

The three of us ran off, and I yelled at my brother, “Did you  _have_ to taunt it?!” I slammed open a door roughly. “Now it’s not only going after Scott, but going to  _shred **us**_ to pieces!”

Scott held out a hand to slow us down. “Wait, did you hear that?”

I looked at Scott and commented, “Not all of us have super-bionic hearing, Scott.”

“Hear what?” Stiles demanded.

“It sounds like a phone ringing…”

“ _What_ ?” Stiles and I echoed.

“I know that ring,” Scott said, nodding in confirmation. “It’s Allison’s phone.”

“What’s she doing here?” I asked, while the werewolf searched around for his phone.

“I don’t know!” Scott replied. “Let me borrow your phone!”

“My phone’s in my bag…” I informed. “Which is in… Derek’s car…” I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

“Here,” Stiles handed Scott his phone before the wolf took it.

He quickly searched through Stiles’s contacts before holding the phone up to his ear. “No, it’s me. Where are you?” There was silence on our end before Scott asked, “Where are you right  _now_ ?” Some more waiting. “Where? Where are you  _exactly_ ?” He frowned before saying, “Get to the lobby. Go  _now_ .”

He hung up and handed Stiles his phone back.

“We need to meet up with Allison. She’s at the pools right now,” he informed us before we ran off again. This time, since we weren’t running for our lives, Scott was leading the way.

I told you he thought more with his other brain.

Scott threw the door open and walked over to Allison quickly. “Why did you come? What are you doing here?”

“Because you asked me to,” Allison replied.

“I asked you to?” Scott frowned, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Allison pulled out her phone, showing the screen to him. He looked at Stiles and me before turning back to Allison.

“… Why do I get the feeling you didn’t send this message?” Allison inquired.

Scott swallowed the lump in his throat. “Because I didn’t.”

“Did you drive here?” Stiles jumped in.

“Jackson did,” Allison replied.

My eyes widened. “Jackson’s here, too?”

“And Lydia,” Allison added. “What’s going on? Who sent this text? Why are you three here alone?” Her phone began to ring again. “Where are you?”

The door suddenly opened and I tensed, but then relaxed when I saw it was only Jackson and Lydia. “Finally!” Lydia exclaimed. “Can we go now?”

“Please,” I practically begged. I wanted to get  _out_ of here, find Derek (hopefully still alive), and just… just… be alive.

A thud came from the ceiling and I could hear the scattering and creaking from up above us. “RUN!” Scott ordered before we took off, just as the ceiling fell behind us.

I could hear the low growls of the Alpha behind us and Stiles and I sped up. We pushed open the door together and ran into the room, panting heavily.

I heard scrambling from the others behind us, and my eyes burned when I was almost blinded by the moonlight outside. … Wait… the moonlight… outside…

“Oh shit,” I said.

“Y-yeah…” Stiles nodded.

“Help me get this in front of the door,” Scott said frantically.

“Scott, wait, not here!” Stiles and I protested, but it fell to deaf ears as the Spanish Inquisition began.

"What was that? Scott? What was that?”

“What came out of the ceiling?”

“What the  _hell_ ’s going on?!”

“Guys–”

“Will you just  _help_ me? The chairs! Stack the chairs!”

“Wait!”

“Guys! Just wait a second!”

More scrambling and screeching from the chairs and desks.

“Guys? Stiles talking! Can we hang on one second, please?  **_Hello_ ** !” my brother finally bellowed, catching the attention of the other four. “Okay.  _Nice work_ . Really beautiful job, everyone,” he commented, looking at the fort the four just built up. “Now – what should we do about the twenty-foot wall of windows?” He gestured to the wall of glass.

“Can somebody  _please_ explain what’s going on, because I’m  _freaking_ out here,” Allison begged, taking Scott’s arm. “And I would like to know why… Scott?”

Scott broke away from her and leaned against a couple of chairs, taking deep breaths. The other three look over at Stiles and me, demanding an explanation.

“Somebody killed the janitor,” Stiles reported, walking over to them.

“What?” Lydia looked at us in disbelief.

“Yeah, the janitor’s dead,” Stiles nodded.

Allison’s breathing got heavy as she scoffed and tried to regain her thoughts. “What’s he talking about? Is this a  _joke_ ?”

“What? Who killed him?” Jackson demanded.

“No, no, no, no,” Lydia shook her head. “Th-this was supposed to be over. The mountain lion was killed–”

“No, don’t you get it?” Jackson asked, looking at his girlfriend. “There  _wasn’t_ a mountain lion.” He didn’t know how correct he was…

“Who was it? What does he want? What’s happening? Scott!” Allison begged. I leaned against the cool glass of the window, trying to calm my nerves. Their nerves were affecting mine and I just couldn’t calm down.

It wasn’t safe for me to be near the windows, but Derek was out there… and this was the closest I was going to be out there…

“I-I-I-I don’t know!” Scott stuttered. “I-I-I just… i-if we go out there, he’s gonna kill us!”

“ _Us_ ?” Lydia demanded. “He’s gonna kill  _us_ ?”

“ _Who_ ?” Allison questioned. “ _Who_ is it?!” she pushed.

“It’s Derek,” Scott said, and my heart dropped. I wanted to puke, right then and there. My stomach got heavy, as Scott continued, “It’s Derek Hale.”

The next thing I knew, I felt an insatiable rage. I whirled around, “You  _bastard_ !” I snapped, striding over to Scott. I gripped the collars of his sweater tightly so hard I felt like my knuckles were going to rip through my skin.

I threw back my right arm, and gave him a solid punch in the jaw, making his fall to the floor. My hand burned, and I felt something restrain me, holding me back from kicking the living crap out of Scott.

“How  _could you_ ?!” I screamed, struggling against the grip.

“Sindy, Sindy, calm down!” Stiles’s voice told me.

It only caused me to fight against the grip more. “Let me  _go_ , Stiles!” I screeched. “How the  _hell_ could you do that?!” I yelled. “You  _coward_ !” My brain was pulsing and I felt like my head was going to burst.

I struggled against Stiles’s grip, but it only tightened, almost to the point it hurt. “Sindy,  **_calm down_ ** !” Stiles yelled.

“ **_NO!_ ** ” I screamed, struggling. “Let me beat the crap out of him! How could you?!” I yelled. “He was  **_helping_ ** you!”

“He’s a murderer, Sindy!” Scott yelled at me.

I sobbed, and my legs gave away. My brother caught me before I could eat the pavement, but I was sure even if I did, it was nothing compared to the pain Derek felt. My right hand, the one I punched Scott with, throbbed painfully as I moved it, to place it on the stain on my shirt.

A strangled, choked noise escaped from my throat and I threw my arms around Stiles, crying into his chest. Stiles wrapped his arms around me, this time to comfort me, tightly, hushing me softly as I sobbed.

I vaguely heard the others talking, but couldn’t bear to hear any of the lies Scott told them. I couldn’t.

“-in here with us,” I heard Scott say as I was slowly settling down. “And if we don’t get out now, he’s going to kill us to.”

_Not if I killed Scott first,_ I thought bitterly, clinging on to my brother’s jacket.


	12. My Friend

**WEDNESDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 2, 2011**

“Call the cops,” Jackson ordered, looking at us pointedly.

“No,” Stiles said, helping me stand up. I was still shaking slightly, whether it was from my tears or my anger towards Scott, I had no idea.

“Wh- what do you mean  _no_ ?!” Jackson demanded, his eyes holding nothing but impatience and fury.

“I mean  _no_ ,” Stiles retorted. “You wanna hear it is Spanish?  _No_ . French?  _Non_ . Look, Derek killed three people, okay?” I clenched Stiles’s jacket tightly, and I felt his hand go over mine. “We don’t know what he’s armed with.”

“Your dad is armed with an entire  _sheriff’s department_ . Call him!”

“I’m calling,” Lydia declared, taking out her own phone.

“No, Lydia, would you hold on a sec–” He moved to get to Lydia, but Jackson blocked him, almost punching him in the process (and I was sure he would’ve enjoyed it if he  _did_ get to punch my brother).

“Yes, we’re at Beacon Hills High School,” Lydia reported to the operator. “We’re trapped, and we need you to–” she waited for the person on the other line to talk. “But–” Lydia pulled her phone away, staring down at it in disbelief. “She hung up on me.”

“The police hung up on you?” Allison asked incredulously. Apparently, she didn’t realize that the police were people, too, and they suffered from lots of phone pranks all the time.

“She said they got a tip warning them that there are gonna be prank calls about a break-in at the high school,” Lydia reported. “She said if I called again, they’re gonna trace it and have me arrested.”

“Okay, then call  _again_ ,” Allison said. I knew that she wanted Lydia to do that so they’d trace us in order to find and arrest us, but little did she know…

“No, they won’t trace a cell,” I muttered bitterly. “They’ll send a car to your house before they send anyone here…”

“What the- wh- what?” Allison sputtered. “Why does Derek want to kill us? Why is he  _killing_ _anyone_ ?”

I turned my bloodshot eyes at Scott and glared at him. I could feel that the others were staring at him as well, but not as banefully as I was. “Why’s everyone looking at me?”

I pushed away from Stiles and walked further into the classroom. I took a seat on the cold floor in the corner, and began to finger the cold leather of Derek’s jacket.

“Sindy?” a voice I really didn’t want to hear right now asked.

I looked up and saw Stiles and Scott standing in front of me. I stood up, brushing past the hand that Scott had offered me. I didn’t miss the hurt look on his face, but he quickly hid it.

“Okay, first off, throwing Derek under the bus, nicely done,” Stiles commented semi-sarcastically. He enjoyed the fact that it was Derek, but I guess since I took it personally, he was a bit torn by the whole story.

“I- I- I didn’t know what to say,” Scott stuttered. “I had to say something. And if he’s dead, then it doesn’t matter, right? Except if he’s not… Oh, God. Sindy, I’m so sorry. You don’t know how much I am. An- and… I just totally bit off Allison’s head.”

“And she’ll totally get over it,” Stiles assured. “Allison… Uh… you’ve got a  _lot_ of making up to do for Sindy…” Stiles looked at me sympathetically. “Look, I know you’re mad at Scott, but be mad at him later. Right now, there are bigger issues at hand here, like, how do we get out alive?”

I frowned. Stiles was right. But after this, I was  _not_ going to be happy with Scott.

“But we  _are_ alive,” Scott pointed out. “It could’ve killed us already. It’s like it’s cornering us or something.”

“So, what, he wants to eat us all at the same time?” Stiles inquired.

“No!” Scott whisper-yelled. “Derek said it wants revenge.”

“Against who? Allison’s family?” I suggested. I wonder if Scott knew about the story of Kate Argent, but judging by the way he was so closed off from Derek, he had no idea. And if Scott had no idea, then Stiles had no idea.

“Maybe that’s what the text was about,” Stiles agreed. “Someone had to send it.”

“Okay, assheads!” Jackson snapped. I glared at him. “Sorry, Sindy. Anyway, new plan. Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and decent aim. Are we good with that?”

I frowned. Did someone else I cared for have to die tonight again, too? I looked from the others to Scott, back to Stiles.

Dad was the only parent we had left… After Mom died, he did everything he could to care for us, and though Stiles acted out sometimes, we always made sure that it wouldn’t harm Dad. Besides each other, he was all we had left.

“He’s right,” Scott agreed. “Tell him the truth if you have to… just… just call him.”

“Look, my sister and I are not going to watch our dad get eaten alive,” Stiles refused, shaking his head from side to side.

“Alright, give me the phone,” Jackson demanded, walking over to Stiles. Stiles, however, wasn’t having it, and whirled around, punching Jackson right in the jaw, causing the captain to stumble.

“What the hell is  _wrong_ with you two tonight?!” Allison demanded, helping Jackson up.

I suppose we  _were_ acting out of character, especially since I lashed out at Scott earlier, and now Stiles all but sucker-punched Jackson.

I ignored her, and watched my brother pull out his cell phone from his pocket. He tapped his screen a couple of times before saying, “Dad, hey, it’s me…  _Annnnd_ it’s your voicemail. Look, I need you to call me back now. Like,  _right now_ .” The door the others had barricaded started to shake profusely. “We’re at the school. Dad, we’re at the school.” Stiles hung up, and I winced as the screws started to fall from the door.

“The kitchen,” Stiles realized. “The door out of the kitchen leads to the stairwell.”

“Which only goes up!” Scott told us. Like we didn’t know that already.

“Up is better than here,” I said, whirling to look at Scott. I grabbed Stiles’s hand, taking off with him, and the others behind us.

I had to let go of Stiles’s hand on the way, as it was getting harder for us to move, and we ran through the hallways, trying to find an unlocked door. Lydia was finally able to open the door to our chemistry class, and we all scrambled in.

Scott shut and locked the door behind us before placing a chair under the knob.

I grabbed Stiles’s hand and clenched it tightly when I saw a shadow walk past the classroom. When it passed, all of us exhaled in relief.

“Jackson, how many people can fit in your car?” Scott asked, looking at the lacrosse captain.

“Five, if someone squeezes on someone’s lap,” Jackson explained, eyes darting back and forth around all of us. “But since Sindy’s pretty small, she can fit illegally.”

“Five?” Allison questioned in disbelief. “I barely fit in the back.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Stiles quipped. “There’s no getting out without drawing attention.”

Scott realized something and walked over to the other door in the classroom. “What about this?” he asked, pointing at it. “This leads to the roof. We can go down the fire escape to the parking lot in, like, seconds.”

“That’s a deadbolt,” I deadpanned, gesturing to the lock on the door.

An idea popped into his head. It made me wonder if it was actually a good one, this time. “The janitor has a key,” Scott explained. Nope. False alarm.

“You mean his  _body_ has a key,” Stiles corrected his best friend, giving him a pointed look.

“I can get it,” Scott declared, eyes looking between us. “I can find him by scent, by blood.”

“Well,  _gee_ , that sounds like an incredibly terrible idea,” Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Please, share with us some  _more_ of your  _grand_ ideas,” I crossed my arms, touching the cold leather as I did so. First Derek, now he was going to risk himself? I was mad at Scott, but I wasn’t going to let him  _die_ .

Scott looked down at me before declaring, “I’m getting the key.” He brushed past Stiles and me, heading to the door.

“Are you serious?” Allison whispered in a demanding tone towards Scott.

“It’s the best plan,” Scott explained. “Someone has to get the key if we wanna get out of here.”

“You can’t go out there unarmed,” Allison refuted.

He’s not going out there  _totally_ unarmed. He can wolf-out, but it’s not like I can say that. Let’s hope there was a decent weapon around this classroom for Scott to use.

Scott looked around before grabbing a stick with a pointer finger sticking out at the top. … Did Scott lose some brain cells when he became a werewolf? Derek was intelligent, but Scott... he needed to get his brain checked. I threw him a look of disbelief. “It’s better than nothing,” Scott defended, looking at me with a reprimanded look. I knew he knew that it was a useless “weapon,” if you could actually call that stick that.

“Yeah, what are you gonna do?” I rolled my eyes. “Point him in another direction?”

“There’s gotta be something else,” Stiles said, looking around the classroom.

“There is,” Lydia said, eyes focused on something. I followed her gaze into the chemical cabinet in the corner.

“What are we gonna do? Throw acid on him?” Stiles suggested. I wonder if acid would actually  _work_ on a werewolf… An Alpha, at that.

“No,” Lydia scoffed. “Like a fire bomb. In there is everything you need to make a self-igniting Molotov cocktail.”

“Self… igniting…” Stiles started slowly, trying to process what Lydia just said.

“Molotov… cocktail,” Lydia explained slowly. We gave her blank looks, trying to figure out just what a self-igniting Molotov cocktail was. Then I remembered it was one of those fire flask thingies some protestors used sometimes. “What? I read it somewhere.”

“We don’t have a key for that, either,” Stiles gestured to the lock. Jackson brought his leather-clad elbow through the glass, shattering it.

“Now we do,” I declared, gesturing for Lydia to go right ahead. She gathered all the ingredients, and got started on making the Molotov cocktail.

She corked the Erlenmeyer flask when she was done, handing it to Scott, who took it.

“No,” Allison protested, stepping forward. “No, this is insane. You can’t do this. You can _not_ go out there.”

“We can just sit here, waiting for Stiles and Sindy’s dad to check his messages,” Scott refuted.

“You could  _die_ . Don’t you get that? He’s killed three people,” Allison pushed.

“Look,” I interjected, placing a hand on Scott’s hand and moved him aside. “We’ll be next if Scott doesn’t do something.” I  _really_ hate this cover story we were using, and actually even  _implying_ Derek was the cause of this caused a sour aftertaste in my mouth.

“Somebody has to do something,” Scott agreed, nodding.

“Scott, just stop,” Allison ordered. “Do you remember – do you remember when you told me you knew whether or not I was lying? That I had a tell? Now, I don’t know about Sindy, but I know you have one. You’re a horrible liar. And you’ve been lying all night. Just… just please… please don’t go. Please don’t leave us, please.” By the time she was done, Allison was sobbing lightly.

“Lock the door behind me,” Scott told me before moving to walk away.

He was, however, pulled back by Allison, and she passionately kissed him, refusing to let him go. My heart ached as I remembered the rough, exhilarating kiss Derek and I shared against his car before Scott summoned the Alpha to the school.

Scott pulled away and looked at Allison for a short second before walking off, heading to the closed door.

I walked after Scott and he opened the door before looking at me. “Sindy… listen… I- I’m sorry. That I threw Derek under the bus like that. I- I know you and he have…  _something_ going on, but… I had no other choice.”

“Now’s not the time, Scott,” I brushed off, not wanting to talk about it.

“I’m sorry,” he said, leaning down and kissing my forehead, not unlike my father and Stiles sometimes.

“Go, Scott,” I said, giving his chest a light shove. He nodded and walked off, and I locked the door behind him. I leaned my head against the door and sighed heavily.

“Hey,” Stiles said, running a comforting hand up and down my arm. “You okay?”

“Yeah…” I mumbled. “I- it’s just… b- before the Alpha showed up… Derek and I kissed…”

“I know,” Stiles said softly. “I know. I don’t wanna admit it, but… you and Derek are a couple, whether you choose to have a label or not. I can see it, y’know? You’re falling for him.”

“I can’t,” I shook my head, still leaning against the cool wood.

“And why can’t you, hm?” Stiles asked.

“… I… he… he can’t love,” I told Stiles. “You know how his family died? How Laura was killed? There was a story behind it… I- it’s not my place to tell you, but he can’t love. He told me.”

“Did he say that specifically?” Stiles inquired.

“No, but it was implied…” I mumbled, remembering what he told me a few days ago.

“Sindy, Sindy, Sindy,” Stiles said, rubbing my back in soothing motions. “You might not realize it, but you’re a pretty lovable girl. Even a sourwolf like Derek will realize it eventually. I’m not really looking forward to him being around all the time, but… if he makes you happy, then go for it.”

“You’re talking as though he’s still alive,” I pointed out.

“Isn’t that what you believe?” Stiles quipped. “Besides, if he can still be that much of an ass with a bullet poisoning his system, I’m pretty sure a stab like that isn’t gonna keep him down. Actually, he’s probably so much of an ass that Hell doesn’t even want him.”

I reached around and whacked Stiles’s shoulder, a small smile creeping onto my face. Stiles caught my hand and grinned. “There’s the smile I’ve been waiting to see.”

I turned around, and hugged Stiles. “Thanks,” I mumbled into his chest.

“Any time,” Stiles replied, returning the embrace, rubbing my back up and down. “C’mon. Let’s get back to the others.”

Stiles directed me back to where Allison, Jackson, and Lydia were waiting, all tense, but especially Allison.

“I don’t get this,” Allison whispered. “I don’t get why he’s out there, and why he left us. And I can’t… I can’t stop my hands from shaking.”

“It’s okay,” Jackson reassured, grabbing Allison’s hands. “It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay.”

“Jackson, you handed me the sulfuric acid, right?” Lydia inquired. “It  _has_ to be sulfuric acid. It won’t ignite if it’s not.”

“I gave you exactly what you asked for, okay?” Jackson snapped lowly.

“Yeah,” Lydia conceded. “Yeah, I’m sure you did.”

“Jackson, are you okay?” I asked worriedly. He wasn’t acting like himself, and he  _was_ poisoned by wolfsbane. All of a sudden, there was a roar or a howl – one of those two – and then Jackson doubled over in pain, screaming in agony.

I saw that his wound was still there, and exchanged a look with Stiles, who was still holding me.

“No, I’m fine,” Jackson pulled away from Allison and Lydia, who had helped him up.

“That didn’t sound okay at all,” Allison pointed out.

“What’s on the back of your neck?” Stiles inquired, reaching for Jackson’s neck. His hand was immediately slapped away by the lacrosse star.

“I said I’m fine,” Jackson growled through his teeth.

“It’s been there for days,” Lydia informed us. “He won’t tell me what happened.”

“As if you actually care,” Jackson spat to his girlfriend.  _Harsh_ .

“Alright, can we not argue for half a second here?” I grumbled.

“You wanna talk about arguing? How about that huge hissy fit you threw at McCall earlier,  _hm_ ?” Jackson demanded. “Was it because your boyfriend’s actually a  _murderer_ ?”

“Don’t  _talk_ about him like that!” I growled, moving to head to the taller boy, but was held back by Stiles.

“Look, Sindy’s right,” Stiles pointed out. “We need to stop arguing.”

“Where’s Scott? He should be back by now,” Allison sighed. All of a sudden, I heard a snap, and glanced at the door. “Scott!” Allison exclaimed. She ran over to the door and tried to open it. “ **_Scott_ ** !” she yelled, pounding on it.

“Stop,” Lydia said. “Stop!” she snapped. “Do you hear that? Listen!”

We were all silent for a few seconds, before we heard it. It was the sound of sirens. We ran to the window, and saw two police cars stopping in front of the school, next to Stiles’s jeep.

It didn’t take long for Dad to come up to the school and break down the door, freeing us. “Dad!” I cried, throwing my arms around him.

“Sindy!” Dad said, hugging me tightly. He cradled my face and asked, “Are you alright? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Stiles?”

“I’m fine,” Stiles said, going over to us. “We’re both okay.”

“C’mon,” Dad said to the others. “Let’s get you kids out of here. Deputy, take care of those three. I’ll handle these two.”

“Wait, where’s Scott?” I asked, looking around as we walked down the hallway.

“Stiles!” I heard a faint voice call. “Sindy!” Then rapid footsteps.

“Scott!” Stiles exhaled as his best friend joined us. “You’re okay!”

“Yeah…” Scott nodded his head. He looked over to our dad and greeted, “Sheriff…”

“Scott,” Dad acknowledged, nodding his own head. “You alright there, son?”

“Y- yeah,” Scott said, panting heavily. “I went to go get the key from the janitor’s body, b- but… was led off.”

“Janitor’s body?” my dad repeated in confusion. “Start from the beginning.”

I stayed quiet, letting the boys explain what had happened. They were still going with the whole “Derek Hale is a murderer” story, and I just couldn’t accept that.

“You sure it was Derek Hale?” Dad asked once they were done. We stepped outside, where more police cars had gathered.

“Yes,” Scott said with confidence.

“I saw him, too,” Stiles nodded, going with the story. I, however, kept silent. If I said something against them, it would cause a lot of confusion, and the story would be warped. And if it was warped, it risked the truth coming out.

_Sorry, Derek,_ I mentally apologized. I had to keep quiet.

“What about the janitor?” Scott inquired, remembering Dad had ordered a deputy to search for the janitor’s body.

“We’re still looking,” Dad explained, walking down the steps with us.

“Did you check under the bleachers? Under them?” Scott suggested with impatience.

“Yeah, Scott, we looked,” Dad sighed. “We pulled them out just like you asked… there’s nothing.”

“I’m not making this up,” Scott protested, shaking his head.

“I know,” Dad nodded. “I believe you, I do.”

“No, you don’t,” Scott frowned. “You have this look like you feel bad for me. Like you wanna believe me, but I know you don’t.”

“Listen, we’re gonna search this whole school. We’re gonna find him, okay? I promise.”

“Sheriff!” a deputy in the distance called for my father’s attention.

“Stay,” Dad ordered, throwing us all pointed looks. “All three of you.”

“Well, we survived, dude,” Stiles exhaled. “You know? We outlasted the Alpha. It’s still good, right? Being alive?”

“When we were in the chemistry room, he walked right by us,” Scott explained. “You don’t think that it heard us? You don’t think it exactly where we were?”

“What are you saying, then?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. “It purposely left us alive, then?”

“It wants me in its pack,” Scott explained. “But, I think, first… I have to get rid of my old pack.”

The crease between my eyebrows grew as I frowned deeply. “Old pack?” I echoed. I wasn’t understanding what was going on.

“What do you mean?” Stiles elaborated further. “What old pack?”

“Allison, Jackson, Lydia… you two…” Scott listed, his eyes falling on us.

“The Alpha doesn’t wanna kill us,” Stiles concluded, realizing the Alpha’s true objective.

Scott nodded in agreement before solemnly turning around. “It wants me to do it. And that’s not even the worst part.”

“How in the _holy hell_ is that not the worst part, Scott?”

“Because when he made me shift… I wanted to do it,” Scott admitted, looking at us dead in the eyes. “I wanted to kill you guys. All of you.”

I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. Half of me wanted to punch Scott with everything I had. The other half of me wanted to just hold him, accept him for who he was.

Despite tonight not being one of Scott’s best moments, he was one of my best friends. I knew he had no choice but to say it was Derek… but… there were other ways of skirting around the truth. Did he _have_ to rat out someone who was actually trying to _help_ him control his powers?

Scott saw something, and we followed him, walking over to an ambulance, where, to our surprise, sat Dr. Deaton.

“There you are,” Dr. Deaton greeted Scott casually, like he didn’t disappear to turn into a giant, gruesome werewolf Alpha and then proceeded to attack us and almost maim us all.

“How… how did you-” Scott sputtered in disbelief.

“Get out?” Deaton offered. “Not easily. And from what they tell me, I’m alive because of you. I think I owe you a raise.”

“Guys, come on, let’s let the EMTs do their job,” Dad came up to us. “You can talk to him later. Scott, I’m assuming you’ll need a ride home.”

“Yes, sir,” Scott nodded. He then spotted something, or rather, someone, off in the distance, and yelled, “Allison!” He ran off, heading over to the teenager.

I scrambled into the backseat of the police cruiser, not wanting to do anything. I just wanted to go home, now. I had to change out of my shirt, at least, though, since it was stained with Derek’s black blood. I curled into a ball, hiding beneath Derek’s jacket, which, unfortunately, no longer smelled like him.

I could still remember Derek’s faint, strong, nature scent, but was disappointed to feel that there was no physical, lingering scent.

Stiles climbed into the front seat, and later, Scott joined me in the backseat. He looked like a kicked puppy, and I decided that I could forgive Scott for what he did… because he kept us safe tonight. After all, he was my best friend for as long as I can remember.

Allison ignoring him was punishment enough.

Dad soon climbed into the driver’s seat, and drove off, heading to Scott’s house first. Melissa was waiting on the front porch, and when Scott climbed out, she ran over to him, hugging him. Melissa and Dad exchanged words, before she looked at us, giving us small smiles.

Once Dad was sure Melissa and Scott were back in their home, safe, he drove us home. He didn’t turn off the engine as he pulled into our driveway, as I knew he still had some work to do.

“You two get to bed,” he ordered. “The school’s going to be shut down for the next couple of days, so just take this time to recuperate, alright?”

I nodded my head, climbing out of the back. Stiles and I tiredly walked to our room, and I entered my room, turning on the light.

Strangely enough, my window was open, and I frowned. I was sure I had closed it before I went to school this morning. I walked over to the window, closing and then locking it. It was then something on my desk caught my eye.

On my desk was my handbag, next to a small puddle of black liquid. When I touched it, it was thick, much like blood. I spotted my notepad, which was smeared slightly with the same black liquid, but relief filled my body when I spotted the four words on the paper:

_I’ll see you soon._


	13. Time of Month

**MONDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 7, 2011**  

“They brought in the state detectives,” Stiles told me in a hushed tone, grabbing my arm a bit too roughly.

“Ouch,” I protested, taking my arm away from him. “Okay… and… did you warn Dad to be careful?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded, walking into class with me. “Hopefully he will.” Stiles took a seat next to me, like usual, just before Scott walked into the class.

Scott went to talk to Allison, but was stopped by Harris, who told him to take a seat. Scott, with a dejected look, took a seat in front of Stiles.

“You have forty-five minutes to complete the test,” Mr. Harris told us. “Twenty-five percent of your grade can be earned right now simply by writing your name on the cover of the blue book.” Stiles, hearing that, furiously jotted down his name, causing me to hold in a snort of laughter. “However, as it so happens every year, one of you will inexplicably fail to put your name on the cover, and I’ll be left yet again questioning my decision to ever become a teacher. So, let’s get the disappointment over with. Begin.”

I flipped open my booklet, and began to read the questions, answering them with accuracy. With the past couple of days of not being in school, I actually got some studying done. Derek still hadn’t visited me, but I assumed that it was just before he was still healing.

I heard a violent push, and looked up from my test, just to see Scott storm out of the class. I exchanged a look with Stiles and we nodded, before standing up.

“Mr. Stilinski!” Mr. Harris called after Stiles, who had ran out first.

“Sorry, Mr. Harris,” I apologized. “We really need to see what’s wrong. I swear, we’ll make up the test!” I ran out the door after that, and saw Stiles on the phone, holding Scott’s backpack.

“Scott?” Stiles called.

“Scotty?” I helped my brother.

I heard a familiar ringtone, and followed it, straight into the locker room, where I heard a shower running. We cautiously walked closer to the showers, hoping we weren’t going to get killed.

When we saw Scott leaning against the wall, taking heavy breaths while shirtless, we let out similar sighs of relief.

“Stiles… Sindy…” Scott acknowledged, turning around. “I can’t…” he choked out.

“Whoa, what’s happening?!” Stiles demanded, eyes wide. “Are you changing?”

“No,” Scott breathed out. “No, I can’t breathe.” He made a gasping sound, and I realized what was going on.

“His backpack,” I urged, and Stiles scrambled around, digging furiously through the backpack.

Stiles pulled out Scott’s inhaler, which I was glad he still carried around. “Here, use this,” Stiles told him, holding out the device.

Scott looked at us in disbelief. “Use it, Scott!” I said.

The young werewolf took the inhaler, and breathed in. Slowly, I saw his breathing go back to normal, making his eyes widen in disbelief yet again. “I was having an asthma attack?” he asked.

“No,” Stiles shook his head. “You were having a panic attack. But thinking you were having an asthma attack actually stopped the panic attack. Irony~”

“How did you know to do that?” Scott looked between us.

“I work at a hospital, remember?” I inquired.

“And… well, Sindy and I used to get them after our mom died…” Stiles admitted. “Not fun, huh?”

Scott scrambled through his brain for the right words. “I- I looked at her and it was like someone hit me in the ribs with a hammer…” he described.

“Yeah, it’s called heartbreak,” Stiles informed. “About two billion songs written about it.”

“I can’t stop thinking about her,” Scott groaned.

“Well, you could think about this: Her dad’s a werewolf hunter, and you’re a werewolf, so it was bound to be an issue…” Stiles chuckled.

Realizing it wasn’t actually  _helping_ Scott, I nudged my brother’s ribs. “… That wasn’t helpful,” Stiles admitted. “Dude, I mean, yeah, you got dumped. It’s supposed to suck.”

“No,” Scott shook his head. “That’s not it. It was like I could feel everything in the room… everyone else’s emotions…”

“It’s got to be the full moon,” Stiles concluded. “We’ll lock you up in your room later just like we planned. That way, the Alpha – your  _boss_ – can’t get to you, either.”

“I think we need to do a lot more than lock me in my room,” Scott admitted.

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Why? Because the hunters might get you if you get out?”

“No,” Scott shook his head. “Because if I get out… I think I might kill someone.”

The rest of the school day passed by uneventfully. After school, the three of us returned to finish our tests. Then, the two boys headed to practice while I waited outside the door.

“Sindy,” Finstock said, poking his head out of the room. “It’s safe now. I’m gonna announce the new first liners.”

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but knew better than to actually ask what was up with that. Finstock and I walked in to the locker room, and he blew the whistle to gather everyone.

“Hey, cutie,” Danny greeted me with a wink. He placed an arm around my shoulders and asked, “What’d you think of Harris’s test?”

“Ugh,” I groaned, rubbing the side of my head. “It was difficult, but I think I passed with at least a B.” Danny gave me a sympathetic nod before Finstock started talking.

“Alright, geniuses, listen up. Due to the recent pink eye epidemic – thank you, Greenberg – the following people have made first line on a probationary basis. Emphasis on the word  _probationary_ ,” Finstock announced, looking down at his piece of paper. “Rodriguez! Taylor! And uh… oh for the love of crap. I can’t even read my own writing. What is that, an  _S_ ?”

My eyes fell on my brother, who was practically falling out of his seat in anticipation. I stifled my laughter.

“That’s a… no, that’s a  _B_ . It’s definitely a  _B_ . Uh, Rodriguez, Taylor, and, uh… Bilinski.”

My brother quickly jumped onto his feel, hooting in laughter. Danny, beside me, sighed in annoyance, while Jackson shook his head in disapproval.

I giggled softly and walked around to join the two boys, while I heard Finstock scold my brother, “Bilinski!”

“Yes?”

“Shut  _up_ !”

“Yes, sir.”

I joined the two just as Stiles sat down. “Congratulations!” I grinned, hugging Stiles from behind.

“Stiles,” Scott said.

“It’s Biles,” Stiles corrected. “Call me Biles, or I swear to God I’ll kill you.”

“Another thing,” Finstock said. “From here on out,  _immediately_ , we’re switching to co-captains. Congratulations, McCall.” I looked at my best friend in disbelief, and the rest of the team, who were chuckling at Stiles’s antics, silenced immediately.

“ _What_ ?” Jackson hissed venomously.

“What do you mean,  _what_ ?” Finstock inquired. “Jackson, this takes nothing away from you. This is about combining separate strengths into one unit. This is about taking your unit, McCall’s unit… We’re making one big… unit.” Great job explaining, Coach. “McCall, it’s you and Jackson now. Everybody else, asses on the field!  _Asses. On The. Field_ !”

Everyone scattered, and I went to hug Scott from behind. “Congrats, Scott!” I said, but I felt that he wasn’t as hyped as I thought he’d be.

“Dude, can you believe this?” Stiles asked us. “You’re a captain, I’m first line. I’m first  _freaking_ line! Are you freaking out? I’m freaking out.”

“What’s the point?” Scott spat bitterly. “It’s just a stupid title. And I could practically  _smell_ the jealousy in there.”

“Wait,” Stiles stopped Scott from walking. “You smell jealousy?”

“Yeah,” Scott admitted. “It’s like the full moon’s turned everything up to ten.”

“Can you pick on stuff like… I don’t know… desire?” Stiles inquired. I rolled my eyes and smacked his chest. “Ow!  _What_ ? I’m a teenage guy!”

“What do you mean desire?” Scott was confused.

“Like… sexual desire?”

“Sexual desire?” Scott gave an “Are you stupid” face to Stiles.

“Yeah, sexual desire,” Stiles nodded like a kid in a candy store. “Lust, passion,  _arousal_ .”  _Annnnnnnnd_ this is where I take my leave.

“I’m gonna go out onto the field,” I mumbled. “This is getting  _way_ too weird for me.”

I walked down the hallway, adjusting my bag slightly. Scott could  _smell_ emotions during the full moon? Werewolf senses were just  _enhanced_ , so that meant that a well-controlled werewolf could smell emotions all the time…

I paused in my step, almost getting run over by a player leaving the school.

Oh.

My.

God.

I let out a groan, whirling around so I could slam myself into a wall from my sheer stupidity. Derek was a well-controlled werewolf.

He could  _smell_ my desire for him. Oh God. I’ll never be able to face him again. And since tonight was a full moon? Oh my God. He’d most likely be able to  _feel_ everything.

Damn teenaged hormones.

Damn sexy werewolves.

Actually, just damn Derek.

“Stupid Derek,” I mumbled. “Why do you have to be so goddamn sexy?”

My phone buzzed in my bag and I pulled it out. My face flushed when I realized it was a text from none other than Derek.

**Derek Hale: _I don’t know. I was just born this way._**

My eyes widened when I realized that Derek was nearby. Which meant… which meant… “Oh my God…” I choked out. “He heard everything.”

My phone buzzed again:  **_Yes. Yes, I did._ **

“No, no, no, no, no,” I groaned, mortified. My phone buzzed yet again, and I was almost scared to open it.

**Derek Hale: _I’m not playing this game. Just walk to the right, into the woods._**

I stood up straight and pocketed my phone. I glanced around to make sure nobody was watching me, and walked into the woods, like Derek told me to.

I stepped over the dead leaves, making soft, crunching noises as I walked, and my mind told me to turn to the right. I looked up, just like my instincts told me to. I almost fell back in shock when Derek appeared  _right there_ in front of me, and would’ve lost my footing if it weren’t for him reaching out and grabbing my wrist.

“Uh… hi…” I greeted, once I was steady. He gave me a curt nod. “You’ve been out of commission for a while.”

“Wounds inflicted by Alphas take longer to heal,” Derek informed.

“Oh… okay…” I said, not sure what else to say.

“How’s Scott?” Derek inquired, leaning against a tree.

I frowned. “Not well,” I admitted. “He’s… well, he had a panic attack earlier, but Stiles and I managed to calm him down. He’s not taking his break up with Allison very well.” Up until I mentioned Scott’s break up, he looked impassive, but when I mentioned Allison, he adopted this bored, annoyed look on his face like he could care less.

“He’s uh… he’s definitely a bit touchy today,” I continued on, not really knowing what else to say. “Jackson’s fine. He’s just jealous that Scott was promoted to co-captain, and now there’s this whole-”

I was cut off by suddenly being shoved against a tree trunk, hard enough to catch me off guard, but weak enough to not hurt me. Derek slammed his lips over mine, capturing and swallowing my gasp.

A low growl escaped from Derek’s chest, sending a shiver down my spine and a warmth through me. My legs wrapped around Derek’s hips, locking my ankles together, and I pulled him close to me.

I let out a gasp when his hard body pulled flush against mine, leaving no gap between the two of us. His head angled down, his lips tracing my jaw. Since he had just shaved, I felt his smooth skin brush against mine, and I moved my hands to bury them in his hair.

He growled lowly, the vibration spreading down my neck and spine when I tugged on his hair tightly. One of his hands trailed up my back and then tangled itself into my hair. He pulled gently, causing my head to fall back, hitting the bark, exposing my neck.

Derek trailed kisses down my jaw, and onto the side of my neck. He licked at my racing pulse before nibbling down on it, causing a low, breathless moan to escape from me. A heat filled me like it never did before.

Derek pressed his lower half against me, and I felt something hard pressing into the direct center of me. Oh  _God_ , is  _that_ what it felt like?

He suddenly pulled away, moving his head to bury his nose in my hair. He inhaled sharply, and I felt his hands run up and down my sides before lifting my shirt ever the slightest. His cool, calloused thumbs touched my warm skin and I shuddered.

“D- Derek…” I stuttered out. He simply made a small shushing noise before moving back to kiss me. He kissed me with so much passion that I felt my toes curl in my shoes tightly.

Since I wasn’t afraid of falling, I moved my arms from around Derek. Feeling me move, he shifted slightly so he was able to support my weight, which caused me to be pushed further into the tree. I grabbed his dark Henley and fisted it, pulling him down so I could kiss him better.

A low growl rumbled through Derek’s chest, before he pushed forward. It was so painful I knew that my lips would be swollen and bruised, but I couldn’t care less. I pushed back as hard as I could, and he growled again, gripping my thighs tightly.

He suddenly pulled away, and I saw his eyes were an electric blue before he blinked and they were once again a light green. He looked down at me, his eyes intense, yet impassive at the same time.

I loosened my grip around him, and he released me, letting me get back onto my feet.

“You should go,” Derek said, looking down at me. He leaned down, capturing my lips with his for a short second, but it was a second I relished in. “I’ll be over after practice.”

“Okay,” I replied, my eyes falling on his lips.

Derek slipped his hands into his jacket pocket, waiting for me to leave. When I didn’t, he silently arched a brow at me. “What?”

I suddenly felt embarrassed, and felt the blood rush up to my face. I shuffled my feet nervously before looking up at him through my lashes. “Can I… kiss you?”

The corner of Derek’s lips twitched for the briefest fraction of a second before he leaned down, eyes holding mine. “You never have to ask,” he breathed out before pinning me to the wall, kissing me roughly.

My arms shot out to wrap around his neck and I pulled him down flush against me. All too soon, he pulled away. I took in deep, heavy breaths, my chest moving up and down to settle.

“I’ll uh…” I started, “go, now… I’ll… see you later?”

Derek nodded curtly and I walked away, stumbling, as my legs were number than I thought. I heard a dark chuckle echo through the woods, and I flushed, quickly walking away, smoothing out my hair.

I entered the lacrosse field, walking over to the bench, where multiple players were already gathering. I slid into the empty seat next to Danny, who was fastening on his gloves.

“Where’d  _you_ disappear off to?” Danny grinned, looking at me. His eyes skimmed me before he smirked, bumping me. “You  _bitch_ .”

I flushed, deciding to play stupid. “What?”

“You totally just made out with someone,” Danny deadpanned. “Didn’t even know you had it in you. Is he hot?”

“Incredibly,” I found myself saying, before slapping my hands over my mouth. Danny laughed loudly and a few players turned their attention towards us. “Shut up, Danny!” I hissed.

“Might wanna fix that sex hair you’ve got going on,” Danny pointed out. “You’re lucky I know that you wouldn’t have sex in the woods… Unless… you  _did_ …” When I didn’t reply fast enough he smirked.

“ _No_ !” I refuted, shaking my head. “We were just making out, I swear!”

“You? Making out with someone? Who would’ve thought,” I heard a familiar scoff. I mentally groaned, grabbing my head. Fucking Danny…

“Bugger off, Jackson,” I told the co-captain.

Jackson arched a perfect eyebrow at me. “Really, Sindy? ‘Bugger’? Since when did you go all British?”

“Since you decided to show up,” I replied. I spotted Stiles taking a seat a few feet away and stood up, brushing the dirt off my clothes. “Well, I’ll be taking my leave now. Danny, Jackson.” I nodded before skipping over to my brother, who looked half-dazed.

“Scott’s the best friend ever…” Stiles sighed out dreamily.

I quirked an eyebrow. “What’d he agree to do for you this time?”

“What makes you say that he’s doing me a favor?” Stiles inquired. “He could just be awesome.” I gave him a look. “I asked him to ask Lydia if she liked me. Scott said he would.”

“I thought so,” I replied, leaning back, crossing my ankles.

“Hey, Sindy,” Stiles called.

“Hm?” I turned my head to look at my brother.

“You’ve got a couple leaves in your hair,” he pointed out.

My eyes widened and I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling them catch in the tangles and small leaves. “ _Stiles_!” I complained. “Why didn’t you tell me _earlier_?!”

“Hey! Don’t blame me!” Stiles sputtered. “ _You_ ’re the one that went off and made out with D-” he abruptly stopped, remembering what had happened a few nights ago. “ _You-know-who_ ,” he whispered.

I rolled my eyes. “We aren’t in _Harry Potter_.”

“Hey, we’ve got the werewolves,” Stiles pointed out, shrugging. “What’s a couple witches and wizards?” He suddenly perked up, and I angled my head, to see Scott stalking over to us.

Stiles all but shoved me to the side in order for Scott to sit next to me. _Ooh_ , I’ll be getting him back for that later. “What happened?!” Stiles asked eagerly.

“What?” Scott inquired nonchalantly, fixing his gloves.

“What do you mean _what_? Did you ask her?” Stiles demanded. “Did she say anything? Did she say she liked me? Did she _imply_ she liked me?”

“Yeah,” Scott said in a strange tone. “Yeah, she likes you. In fact, she’s totally into you…”

I furrowed my brows, unable to get a grasp on Scott’s tone. I was about to ask if something was wrong with him, when Finstock blew his whistle, summoning all his players to the field.

I leaned back on the bench, watching the players line up, just as Lydia came strolling out. She gave me a small smile, before watching the boys practice.

For some odd reason, I couldn’t look away from Lydia, and I noticed something was weird… Her hair was fluffier than usual, and… was her lipstick smeared?

Lydia met my gaze and arched a brow at me, asking a silent, “ _What_?” to me. I shook my head before turning back to the field just in time to see Scott charge forward before getting knocked down by two players.

I winced, watching him closely.

I felt my phone buzz and reached into my pocket, pulling the device out.

**Derek Hale: _Keep an eye on Scott. Tell me if anything strange happens._**

I glanced back up at the field, seeing Scott flip back up onto his feet.

**Sindy Stilinski: _Well, he doesn’t look like a happy camper, that’s for sure._**

**Derek Hale: _Be serious. The second he gets out of control, call me._**

“Danny!” I heard someone call. My head shot up from my phone and I rushed towards the field, where everyone was gathering to the fallen player.

I slid to my knees, stopping in front of Danny’s body. “Move,” I said, pushing Greenburg away. “Danny,” I said, taking off his helmet. “Can you hear me?”

“Y-yeah,” he choked out.

I held up three fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Th-three,” Danny groaned.

“Follow my finger,” I ordered, holding up my index finger. I moved it from side to side slowly, and watched as Danny’s eyes followed me. “No concussion… just a really bad nosebleed. Sit down and put your head forward.”

A couple of the players helped Danny up, and I vaguely heard Lydia rush over to us. “Is he okay?” Lydia inquired.

“Yeah,” Jackson nodded in agreement after I confirmed it. “Looks like he just has a blo-” I glanced up, wondering why Jackson stopped. Lydia was curious, too, and asked her boyfriend what was wrong. “Your lipstick,” Jackson supplied.

I thought something was weird… so her lipstick really _was_ smeared. But… if Jackson didn’t know why…

I turned to look at my brother, who was now staring at his best friend in disbelief.

Man, Scott was really becoming more of a bitch than I was once a month.


	14. Just Us

**MONDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 7, 2011**

I moved to walk to Scott, but Stiles grabbed my wrist, dragging me off in the opposite direction. “Stiles-”

“You can’t help, Sindy,” Stiles interrupted me. “Not tonight. Scott’s  _way_ too out-of-control tonight.”

I glanced around us, and saw everyone else was still either crowded around Danny or standing a bit too far from us to overhear our conversation. “So, what?” I hissed. “Am I supposed to let you deal with Scott yourself?”

“That’s  _exactly_ what you’re gonna let me do,” Stiles replied.

I frowned. “I can’t do that. You’ll get hurt.”

“And I’m not letting  _you_ get hurt,” Stiles looked down at me. He looked thoughtful for a minute before he said, “Not to mention Derek would skin me alive if something happened to you under my watch. Derek who… still scares me.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s a harmless puppy.”

Stiles snorted. “And I’m the Queen of England. He eats little pigs, Sindy, and  _I’m_ the little pig that built his house out of straw.”

“Why were you stupid enough to do that?” I questioned.

“Who the hell knows,” Stiles shrugged. “The point  _is_ , go home. Let me deal with Scott. It’s too dangerous.”

My brows furrowed in displeasure. When will Stiles realize that I don’t need protection?

… Okay, maybe I’ll need protection from  _werewolves_ , but two against one was a hell of a lot better than one against one. The logical thing would be to have  _both_ Stiles and I keeping Scott at bay.

I pursed my lips tightly. “Fine,” I clipped. “I’ll be at home if you need me, then.”

Stiles seemed satisfied with my response, so he released my wrist. I turned my heel and began to walk away, heading to my car. Practice was going to be called off for the rest of the day, anyway.

I drove off, heading down the familiar streets to my home.

The second I arrived home, I quickly ran up the stairs, threw open my door, and flopped onto my bed, face down. I grabbed my pillow and let out a frustrated cry.

“Your brother’s right,” a voice said, sending shivers down my spine. Figures he was still there. That liar. He didn’t even leave.

I peered up from behind my pillow to see Derek leaning against my closed door, arms crossed over his chest. I frowned, sitting up on my knees. “Scott’s my friend, too,” I protested.”

“Scott is out of control,” Derek said calmly, not moving an inch from my door. “Even for a full moon, he’s more agitated than the average werewolf.”

“You’re saying the Alpha still has a control over him,” I concluded. I remembered back to the night where the Alpha was able to get Scott to shift.

Derek nodded curtly. “And you should stay away tonight, unless I’m there.”

“B-” I moved to protest, but was cut off by Derek striding over to me quickly. He pinned me roughly to the bed, but not hard enough to hurt me. He growled lowly, eyes flashing blue before fading back to green. “Dammit, Sindy, listen to me!” he hissed. “Scott’s not like me on a full moon. He won’t recognize you as his best friend. He’ll see you as his prey.”

I made a gesture to move, but his hands tightened around my wrists. “He’s not like me, Sindy. He won’t stop when you tell him. You’ll truly be like a squirrel.”

“But you won’t let that happen to me,” I said quietly, looking up at his angular face.

His jaw clenched tightly. “No,” he agreed after a couple of seconds. “I won’t.” He leaned in, his breath tickling my neck. “You’re  _mine_ ,” he growled.

A breathless gasp slipped between my lips as he attacked my jugular, nipping and licking at my racing pulse. My hands, which were still pinned above me, struggled against his tight grip. I wanted to reach out and grab him, but he wasn’t having it. I fought against his grip, which only caused him to grip me tighter.

“You see?” Derek asked, his lips ghosting over the side of my jaw. “See how weak you are? Unlike me, Scott’s not going to give you pleasure. He’ll rip this soft, delicate throat of yours…” His calloused fingertips brushed over my throat.

“This hair?” His free hand tangled with my locks. “It’ll be ripped apart. It won’t make you feel like this…”

He tugged my hair, making me throw my head back. A strange noise flew out of my throat, and a breathless gasp escaped as his lips attacked me.

“Derek,” I called out, my hands shooting to his head. Another noise went to escape, but it ended up being captured by his lips.

My hands trailed down his body, feeling every ripple his muscles made. I felt his abdominals clench tightly when my hands brushed over them through his Henley. They trailed up before grabbing the cold flaps of his leather jacket. Without breaking the kiss, Derek sat up on his knees, lifting me onto him. My legs wrapped around his waist, ankles locking together. I pushed back his jacket and Derek shrugged it off before throwing it somewhere in the corner of my room.

My hands went down his torso, fingers curling at the hem of his shirt. I pulled it up before Derek’s hands flew from my hips to the air, lips detaching from mine for a brief second. I pulled the shirt up off Derek and his lips came crashing back down. My hands splayed over his chest, feeling it tighten underneath my fingers. He pushed me back down on the bed, gently, unlike before. He cradled the sides of my face, his elbows and knees supporting his weight.

I began to run out of breath, so I pulled away, breathing heavily. My eyes slowly peeked open, heavy from disuse. Derek’s thumb rubbed against my cheekbone, stroking softly.

I placed my hand over his larger one, and brought my head up. I kissed him softly, slowly, and he took in a sharp breath. In that second, I felt a shift between us.

I sat up slowly, and Derek allowed me to move him so he took my original place on my bed. I pecked his lips one, two, three times before trailing my lips along his jawline. His hands, now at my waist, tightened his grip, before slipping under my shirt.

Now, it was my turn to intake deeply.

Derek’s woodsy, sharp scent filled my nose, and I felt my heartbeat accelerate. His rough palms felt so hard against my smooth skin, but so amazing at the same time.

As his hands moved up further, the more my shirt was lifted. It was then I reached down, pulling my shirt up. With a growl, Derek sat up, balancing me on his legs before making me throw my legs on either side of him. He grabbed the rest of my shirt and took it off, throwing it to the side.

Both his hands came up, holding my face before bringing his lips down to mine. His tongue shot out, slipping past my lips without my permission (not that I wasn’t going to say yes). I placed my hands on top of his shoulders and situated myself so I could straddle him comfortably.

He peppered kisses down my jawline, moving me so I would lie down on the bed. He moved down and his lips skimmed along my neck. I could feel him open his mouth, brushing his teeth over it before he suddenly moved to the spot below my left clavicle.

He gently nipped the skin there and my hands shot to his hair, gripping it somewhat tightly. He growled lowly before biting down on my skin in warning.

Instead of feeling reprimanded, a low groan escaped my lips, and I could feel his smirk against my sternum before trailing down.

His hands moved from my back and roamed in a confusing pattern before his right hand went up to my bra. He pulled the left cup down before wrapping his lips around the tip.

A shock went throughout my body, and a mewling sound escaped my lips. I could feel the curl of his smirk before my hands tugged his hair roughly, and a growl rumbled in his chest.

Before anything else could happen, my door suddenly flew open, “Hey Sindy, where are th-”

I immediately pushed Derek away and pulled up my covers over my chest, yelling out, “ _Stiles_ !  _Knock_ !”

With my face burning, I looked at my doorway, where Stiles’s jaw was dropped down in disbelief. His caramel colored eyes darted from me to Derek, to me, to Derek, and the back to me.

His lips sputtered as he tried to make sense of what was happening, and as he did so, Derek calmly got out of my bed and found our shirts. As I quietly threw on my shirt, that was when Stiles exclaimed, “ _What the **hell**_ ?!”

“That’s why you knock,” Derek retorted, sitting down on my bed. He glared at Stiles, irritated that he had interrupted us.

“It’s  _my_ house,” Stiles refuted. “You know she’s underage, right? This could count as statutory rape.”

“I know the law,” Derek glared at Stiles. “Was what you walked in sex, though?”

I flushed, half in embarrassment, half in… well, arousal. Derek talking about sex was…  _wow_ , but on the other hand, this was with my  **_twin brother_ ** .

“It damn well could’ve,” Stiles frowned, crossing his arms. “You’re lucky it was me and not our dad. He would’ve shot you.”

At that statement, Derek and I snorted. As if a bullet could hurt him, but… then we’d have to explain  _why_ Derek was shot and healed so easily. … Let’s not risk it.

“Dad would’ve knocked, first of all,” I finally spoke, no longer embarrassed at the situation, but more irritated. “And  _why_ are you having this conversation with my…” I trailed off, “… werewolf…? … Derek…?” I didn’t really know what to call him. He wasn’t my boyfriend, and we obviously had to have sex to be sex buddies…

Stiles shivered, finally realizing that he was talking about his little sister having sex. “Ugh. I need brain bleach for the past three minutes that occurred.”

“ _Stiles_ ,” I said with a hint of warning. Either he say what he wanted or he get out.

“Right,” Stiles nodded. “Do you have any chains and handcuffs?”

“What the  _hell_ do you think I’m into to ask me  _those_ questions?” I blurted out before I could start my brain to mouth filter.

“I think you’re into possible-murdering werewolves, but that’s beside the point,” Stiles quipped. “I need the chains and handcuffs so I can tie up Scott tonight.” He then realized what he said and continued, “That sounded less wrong in my head.”

I sighed heavily and replied, “Did you try the basement for some chains? Also, just raid Dad’s shelves. He might have an extra pair somewhere. Is that all?”

“Man, you’d think after that crazy make-out session I just walked in on would’ve relaxed you a bit,” Stiles pointed out. His face then soured and he said, “ _Annnnd_ that’s my cue to leave, because I can _not_ handle any more of this sex-laced talk with my sister.” With a shake of his head, he left my room, closing the door behind him.

“Your idiot of a brother needs to learn more about personal space,” Derek spoke up.

“Tell me about it,” I sighed, leaning back against my bedframe. Well, the mood we had going on was effectively spoiled by Stiles. I scooted down so I could rest my head on my pillow and turned to my side, so I could look at Derek’s profile.

We stayed in silence for a few minutes, just basking in each other’s presence. There wasn’t a single noise, except for the faint sound of the front door slamming and Stiles’s jeep driving away. There was more silence for a couple more minutes, until Derek moved.

He laid back down in my bed, and I instinctively scooted closer to him. He quirked an eyebrow at me at the motion, but didn’t push me away. I took advantage of his silent permission, and rested my head on his chest, and his heartbeat filled my ears.

“Hey, Derek?” I asked, reaching forward with my left hand. My hand pushed up his shirt slightly and I began to trace a light pattern over his toned, strong abdomen.

“Hm?” His chest rumbled.

“What are we?” I inquired.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Label-wise,” I elaborated. “I mean, we’re friends, but friends don’t do what we do… and we’re not dating… but… I don’t really know what to call us…”

“…” Derek stayed silent, but from his body language, I knew he was contemplating deeply. I decided to stay quiet, letting him think clearly without interruption. We stayed silent, him in his thoughts, and I just waited. The sun began to set, and it wasn’t long before night fell, basking us in the light of the full moon.

“I can’t give you what you want,” Derek finally spoke after a long time. “I can’t give you commitment. I can’t give you love. I’m too damaged.”

I frowned, my left hand pausing their tracing. I lifted my head up so I could look down at Derek. “What makes you think I want any of that?”

“You’re sixteen years old,” Derek pointed out. “It’s what sixteen year olds your age want.”

“Maybe,” I shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean that I need it now. Besides…” I trailed off, my lips tracing the side of his scruffy jaw, “Damaged things can be fixed.”

“Not me,” Derek refuted. “I can’t give you labels, Sindy. All I can say is… we’re… just us.” My heart, despite itself, tugged heavily.

And that was when I realized.

Without even seeing it, I had fallen for Derek. Within just a month, I had fallen in love with him, even if he was damaged, but that was what made him beautiful to me, inside and out.

“Don’t put yourself out too soon, Derek,” I mumbled, lips still ghosting his jaw. “Just us is exactly what I want…” He leaned down, capturing his lips with my own. He took in a sharp breath, and I threw my leg over him so I was above him. His hands shot up, gripping my hips tightly, but not overly so.

I made a move to deepen the kiss, but was abruptly stopped by an obnoxious ringtone. I growled, pulling away from Derek. I grabbed my cell phone from my bag that was on my nightstand, checking the caller ID.

I groaned and accepted the call, sitting up on my knees. “Stiles, this better be good.”

_“Uhh… define ‘good’,”_ Stiles’s voice said nervously.

“Wait…” I realized, looking out my window. “You’re supposed to be with Scott.”

_“Now, ‘supposed’ is quite a pushy word,”_ Stiles said.  _“It makes it seem like I’m supposed to be wolf-sitting him.”_

“He got away, didn’t he?”

_“I swear, I gave him his own water bowl, too! Then he started screaming, so I had to leave the room, and then it got really, and I mean_ really _quiet, so I thought it was weird, so when I came to check on him, the window was open and Scott was gone like the wind.”_

I groaned. “Stiles, you’re an idiot.”

_“Hey! I’m quite intelligent!”_ Stiles refuted.  _“Anyway, I have_ no _clue where he is, and I’m hoping your werewolf boyfriend could go and track Scott to prevent him from creating mass destruction.”_

I was about to reply, but the phone was suddenly plucked out of my hands by Derek. I made a noise of protest, but Derek silenced me with a look before holding my phone to his ear. “I’ll handle it,” he said. “Just leave.” Without even waiting for a response from my brother, he promptly ended the call.

“Just out of curiosity,” I said as he stood up, “how are you gonna get around town without anyone spotting you?”

“Aren’t your windows tinted?” Derek inquired.

“Slightly,” I replied. “What’s that got to do with- … oh,” I realized. “Just lemme get my keys.” I stood up from my bed, and went to move, but Derek grabbed my wrist before I could go and get my bag. I quirked an eyebrow at him.

“I’m taking you with me because I can stop Scott,” Derek told me lowly. “But that doesn’t mean you go out and leave your car. You stay in your car until everything’s under control, got that?”

“Yeah, yeah,” I nodded, pulling my wrist away from his grip. “Car while you tackle Scott. Gotcha.”

“I’m serious, Sindy,” Derek glared at me. “He can seriously hurt you.”

“But you won’t let that happen,” I said simply, before exiting my room. The two of us walked to my car, and I got in the driver’s seat while Derek got in the passenger’s. I started up the car, and rolled down the window just a crack, as Derek had requested. “Where to?” I inquired.

“Hold on,” Derek replied, before leaning back in his seat. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “The school parking lot.” I nodded and shifted my gears before pressing down on the gas.

It didn’t take long for me to turn into the parking lot, just in time to see Scott on top of what looked like one of the cars. “That’s Jackson’s,” I identified quickly.

“Allison’s in there, too,” Derek got out before he shot out the door before I could even pull to a stop. I braked quickly, and watched as Derek tackled Scott onto the ground before dragging him into the forest.

I pulled into a vacant spot and quickly got out. God, I really hoped my whatever-Derek-is doesn’t completely cripple my best friend.

I stood at the top of the hill, watching the two fight, with Derek clearly winning.

He threw Scott, pinning him to the ground roughly and roared, causing a shiver to run down my spine. But unlike with Scott’s, it sent a rather…  _homely_ feeling. I wasn’t scared at all, and I actually wanted to… go to him.

So I did.

Scott seemed to be snapping out of the full moon’s trance, looking up at Derek in astonishment. Derek walked forward, shifting back to his human form.

It seemed as though Scott realized he had lost control, because he was doing the universal body language of “What have I done?” by staring at his clawed hand in disbelief.

“What’s happening to me?” Scott asked, breathing heavily.

“Exactly what he wants to happen,” Derek supplied.

“Scott…?” I asked cautiously, approaching my friend. He morphed back to his regular form and I bent down, but he flinched when I reached for him.

There was a sharp tug in my chest, but I stood back up.  _He doesn’t want to hurt me,_ I told myself.  _It’s nothing personal…_

_And it’s not because you considered killing him a few nights ago,_ an acerbic voice echoed in my head.

A large, warm hand surrounded my right, and I looked down. My eyes trailed up the leather-clad arm, and even though I knew who it belonged to, my heart still fluttered when my eyes locked with Derek’s pale green ones.

The corner of his lips twitched, obviously hearing my heartbeat. I flushed and pulled my hand away, shoving them into my pockets.

I heard some shuffling behind me, and turned around just in time to see Derek helping Scott up. “We should take him home,” I suggested. Derek nodded curtly and I led them back to where I parked my car.

Thankfully, the spot I pulled into was completely isolated from the other cars, so we got Scott into the backseat without not too much trouble.

“Not that I’m not worried about you, Scotty, but… are you bleeding…?” I inquired. Scott looked taken aback, but shook his head. “Oh, good. The last nosebleed Stiles had was a doozy to clean up of the floor.”

“Thanks for the concern,” Scott commented dryly as I put the car into drive.

“Always here for you, buddy,” I replied, pulling out.

It didn’t take me long to pull up into the McCall driveway. I already knew Melissa had the night shift, so Derek helped Scott in the house without any problems. Derek dropped my best friend off on his bed, while I leaned against the doorway with a cup of water I filled.

Derek moved to walk away and I headed towards Scott with the cup. “Wait,” Scott called to Derek, taking the cup from me.

Derek paused, turning around slowly.

“I… can’t do this,” Scott shook his head. “I can’t  _be_ this and be with Allison.” He sighed heavily before saying, “I need you to tell me the truth: Is there a cure?”

“For someone who was bitten? I’ve heard of one. I don’t know if it’s true,” Derek supplied.

“Well, what is it?!” Scott demanded.

“Scott,” I reprimanded, but Derek shook his head. I guess rudeness was the last thing Derek had to worry about on his list of giant problems.

“You have to kill the one that bit you,” Derek said.

My eyes widened at what Derek was suggesting. Scott had to  _kill_ the Alpha?! “W- h- he has to  _kill the Alpha_ ?!” I voiced out loud.

Derek nodded slowly. Scott sighed heavily, unsure of what to do. The older werewolf then said, “Scott, if you help me find him, I’ll help you kill him.”

I swallowed thickly. That meant someone had to die, no matter what now.


	15. Solidifying a Perfect Life

**TUESDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 8, 2011**

“You want us to do  _what_ ?” Stiles voiced, jumping to his feet.

Derek looked at Stiles, irritated. “Drive my car while I find out more about my sister’s death.” He held out his car keys, dangling them in front of Stiles.

“Drive the Camaro?  _Sweet_ ,” Stiles said, reaching for the keys, but Derek pull them away.

“Not  _you_ ,” Derek glowered down at Stiles. He looked over to me and tossed the keys. I caught them easily, watching my brother pout.

“Why does  _she_ get to drive?” Stiles whined as we walked down the stairs, heading to Derek’s Camaro, which he somehow managed to bring over to my house without alerting the police.

I rolled my eyes, before popping open the driver’s door. I climbed in and waited for Stiles and Scott to scramble into the back before Derek got in the passenger side.

I started the engine, making sure to avoid the main streets. For some odd reason, Derek was telling us to drop him off about a mile away from school, and stay hidden until he gave us the signal to start driving to hold off the police.

I  _really_ hoped we won’t get caught.

“You’ll be fine,” Derek assured, once I pulled to a stop. We were a bit away from the school, the perfect distance for Derek.

“Be careful, alright?” I said, turning to look at him.

He nodded, and went to open the door, before he stopped. I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. We were running low on time. All of a sudden, he turned, grabbed my nape gently, and his lips descended on mine.

My eyes widened in shock and I vaguely heard Stiles and Scott choking on their breaths in astonishment. They were well-aware of what I had with Derek, but this was the first time that Derek and I kissed in front of them, without them interrupting.

Derek pulled away, our lips making a small  _smack_ sound. “Stay safe,” he bade before popping open the door and leaving.

I flushed, placing my hands back on the steering wheel. “Not. A. Word,” I said, not bothering to look back up at the boys in the backseat.

All of a sudden, some bright headlights appeared behind us, making the three of us snap up at attention.

“Oh, shit, that’s Kate Argent’s car!” Stiles identified. “Go, go, go!”

Without another word, I stomped on the gas, and the wheels screeched heavily away. Stiles turned on the police radio that he had snagged from Dad’s room, and I heard a static before a message was transmitted.

_“Derek Hale spotted at Beacon Hills High. Repeat, Derek Hale spotted at Beacon Hills High.”_

_“Suspect is on foot. Repeat, suspect is on foot. We’re in pursuit, heading northwest.”_

I made a highly illegal U-turn, as we were heading in the opposite direction and thanked the Gods that Derek’s windows were heavily tinted, so Kate couldn’t see us as we drove past her.

“Where do you think he’s headed?” Scott asked nervously.

“The only thing northwest of school is the Iron Works,” I replied, trying to look at the rearview mirror, but it was a bit hard to focus on the dark road  _and_ the car behind me. “Faster?”

“Much faster,” my twin responded.

“I dunno,” Scott said nervously as I pressed on the gas. “Maybe we should slow down.”

“Scott, I don’t think you’re grasping the concept of the car chase here,” my brother tried to put him down gently.

“If she goes any faster, she’ll kill us,” Scott commented, and I made a sharp left turn, causing even me to almost fly.

“Well,” Stiles said once he steadied himself. “If she doesn’t go faster, they’re gonna kill us!”

I shifted the gears once again, and slammed on the gas, watching the speedometer needle hit ninety. “How close is she?”

“… They’re gone,” Stiles replied. He activated the radio again.

_“All units, suspect is on foot heading into the Iron Works.”_

“Toldja,” I replied, shifting the gears again. The speedometer slowed to a seventy, and I  soon found myself screeching down into the factory. “Stiles!”

“Get in!” Stiles cried, popping open the passenger door.

Derek looked up, where Chris Argent was standing and then at the car before dashing forward, launching himself in feet first so he could close the door behind him.

I slammed on the gas again, and we drove away as I heard the bullets ricocheting off of Derek’s Camaro.

“What part of laying low don’t you understand?!” Scott scolded.

“Dammit!” Derek cursed, slamming against the dashboard. “I had him!”

“Who? The Alpha?” my brother demanded.

“Yes!” Derek exclaimed. “He was right in front of me and the fucking police showed up!”

“Whoa, hey,” Stiles said. “They’re just doing their jobs…” My brother was silenced by a glare from Derek, and I was glad to never be on the receiving end of one of those.

“Yeah,” Derek commented sarcastically. “Thanks to  _someone_ who decided to make me the most wanted fugitive in the entire state.” He looked pointedly at Scott, who looked reprimanded.

“Can we seriously get past that?” Scott asked. “I made a dumbass mistake. I get it.”

“You make dumbass mistake _s_ ,” I corrected, slowing down and making a simple turn. I glanced at Derek from the corner of my eye. “You alright?” I asked, reaching towards him with my right hand.

“Yeah,” Derek replied, his left hand entangling with my right over the console.

“Please, stop this horrible flirtation before I puke,” Stiles groaned. He turned to Derek and asked, “How did you find him?”

Derek scoffed at Stiles before pursing his lips, exchanging a look with me. I stayed silent, knowing he’d tell me later anyway, unless he chose to tell us now.

“Can you try to trust us at least half a second?” Scott sighed heavily.

“Yeah,  _all three_ of us,” Stiles piped in. Derek glowered at my brother. “Or… just Sindy and maybe Scott… I’ll just be back here.”

“The last time I talked to my sister, she was close to figuring something out. She found two things: The first was a guy named Harris,” Derek explained.

Stiles launched himself forward between the two front seats. “Our  _chemistry_ _teacher_ ?”

“Why him?” Scott asked.

“I don’t know, yet,” Derek sighed.

“What’s the second?” I inquired, glancing at Derek quickly before turning back to the road.

He sighed and released my hand, digging into the pocket of his leather jacket. “Some kind of symbol,” he said, showing us a picture. I glanced at it, and it looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place where I had seen it.

Scott let out an audible groan.

“What? You know what this is?” Derek demanded the younger wolf.

“I’ve seen it on a necklace,” Scott sighed. “Allison’s necklace.” He threw his body back into his seat.

I dropped Scott off first, who looked completely wired out. Not only did he just break up with Allison, but now he had to see her and somehow get the necklace from her. I felt sorry for him, but what had to be done had to be done.

“We need to come up with a plan tomorrow,” Stiles said from the backseat as I moved to drive us home.

“You can’t go to school tomorrow,” Derek said. “I need to talk to you.”

“Are you telling my sister to  _ditch_ school?” Stiles asked incredulously.

I rolled my eyes. “You and Scott get me to ditch  _all_ the time, even before this whole werewolf business started.”

“Point noted,” Stiles sighed. “Fine.”

I pulled up in our driveway, and got out of the car. Derek followed, and Stiles scrambled out of the backseat before giving us one last look before going into the house. I guess my brother knew that I wanted some time with Derek.

Derek pushed me gently against the closed driver’s door, before looking down at me. He held my gaze and I was finding it incredibly difficult to breathe.

“Sindy,” he said softly, hand reaching up to cradle my face. His rough palm was such a heavy contrast on my smooth skin, but it felt delightful all the same.

“Derek…” I said just as softly, and he bent down, lips over mine. My hands shot up, splaying over his Henley-clad chest, and his other hand went up to my neck, holding my head steady for him.

His tongue slipped between my lips, rubbing against my own, and I let out a breathless sigh. They danced together, and I slanted my head, giving him better access. My heart pounded heavily, causing my head to throb as he literally took my breath away.

The kiss began to slow, with Derek retracting his tongue before he nipped at my bottom lip. He nibbled it for a split second before pulling away, allowing us to catch our breaths.

He rested his forehead against mine, and I closed my eyes, taking in his deep, heavy breaths and his warm presence. He then pulled me to his chest, and I snuggled into his warmth.

We stood there for a few seconds, before he pulled away from me. He took my hand, and walked me to the doorstep. I looked at him and smiled and said, “That was one hell of a good night kiss.”

He smirked before leaning down, kissing my forehead softly. “Night.”

I beamed up at him. “Night,” I replied, before he walked away, heading back to his car. He gave me one last glance before climbing into his Camaro, started his engine, and drove off into the night.

I entered the house, locking the door behind me. As I turned to look up, I saw Stiles standing at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the railing.

“You love him, don’t you?” he asked.

"I do,” I nodded, not bothering to lie to him. “Does it bother you?”

Stiles sighed heavily before running a hand over his buzzcut head. “He’s not necessarily  _nice_ to me, but… he is to you, and that’s all that matters to me. I can see it. And since you’re happy, I’m happy for you.”

I smiled softly and walked over to my twin. I hugged him tightly before releasing him. “You’re the best, Stiles.”

The corner of his lips twitched before he responded, “I know.” He gave me a laugh as I went to smack him for being  _so modest_ , and dashed up the stairs before I could do anything. I could hear his laughter as the door to his room closed and I smiled. My life was perfect the way it was.

The next day when I woke up, I rolled over lazily, not wanting to move.

I didn’t want to go to school today. Could I just spend my entire day with Derek?

There was a knock on my door and I grunted out a noise for Stiles to enter. My brother poked his head in and seeing me on my bed, he asked, “Are you going to school today?”

“I don’t wanna,” I whined, throwing my blankets over me. “Take my essay and turn it in for me in English?”

I heard Stiles’s footsteps enter my room, walking over to my desk. “Alright. Text me if you need anything.”

“I know the drill,” I replied. Stiles and I ditched classes every now and then, and even a whole day every now and again. At first, Dad didn’t like it, but then he realized we were just like any other teenager, so he made a deal that if we kept our grades up, we could skip school once a month, but  _never_ on days there were huge tests.

For a dad being the sheriff, our dad was really awesome. Or maybe it’s because he was really too busy being sheriff to be bothered with regular teenaged actions, but, whatever.

Stiles closed the door behind him and a few minutes later, I could hear the jeep drive off. I got up to at least brush my teeth, but then climbed back in, wrapping myself inside the blankets, savoring the warmth and comfort.

All of a sudden, I heard my window slide open and I peeked out from under my covers, making sure to stay hidden.

Derek threw me a look that asked,  _‘Really?’_ before sliding my window shut.

I pulled down the blankets so they were to my chest and sat up against the bedframe, keeping my eyes locked on him. His eyes scanned me, taking in my slightly disheveled appearance.  _God_ , I wish I thought of brushing my hair.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Derek came striding over to me quickly. He grabbed my face before crashing his lips down onto mine, and my heart just exploded. I threw my arms around him, no longer worrying about my “just-rolled-out-of-bed” look.

He climbed onto the bed, on all fours, with lips still attached to mine. I could feel the light  _thud_ of his shoes as he kicked them off, along with his socks. He pulled me so I would sit up straight, and I straddled his knees.

I was slowly losing oxygen, so I pulled back, gasping heavily.

Derek’s breathing was slightly heavy, but not as much as mine was.

“Wow,” I gasped out, my lips curling into a smile. “That was… raw…” I commented.

Derek’s right hand trailed up my arm, and I closed my eyes, a small sound escaping from my lips. His touch was so faint, it was like it was barely there, but so powerful that it sent electric shocks throughout my body. His hand wrapped around my nape, and I shivered when the pad of his thumb rubbed my neck in small circles.

“You’re so sensitive to my touch,” Derek said. I opened my eyes, and saw his pale green eyes locked on my face. His left hand went to the skin at my waist, which had revealed itself when my tank slid up. A warmth filled my body and he inhaled deeply.

I flushed, recognizing the tell-tale signs of being aroused, and there was no doubt that Derek could  _smell_ it as well.

The corner of Derek’s lips twitched and I pouted. Derek  _knew_ the effect he had on me, but I had  _no_ idea how much I affected him.

Derek leaned forward, his lips trailed across my cheeks before made a trail to my ear. He nipped it slightly before saying huskily, “You don’t know  _how_ much you affect me.” His free hand grabbed my right, and trailed if up his leg, before my palm encountered something hard and soft at the same time.

Confused, I gave it a gentle squeeze, and Derek released a soft moan into my ear.

My eyes widened and I flushed, realizing what he had led me to. Oh  _God_ , I was mortified, but I couldn’t find it in me to remove my hand.

Instead, I swallowed thickly, and rubbed the bulge with a little bit more force. Derek’s grip tightened ever the slightest, spurring me on.

I turned my head, free hand going up and moving Derek’s face so I could kiss him properly. My left hand ran against the scruff of his jaw while my right hand on his denim, I kissed him with all the passion I could find in me.

Derek said he couldn’t love properly, so I’d show him how to be loved properly.

I released Derek from my grip and went to take off his jacket. It was thrown somewhere randomly in my room, before I grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged it off of him. I pulled him down so he was over me, before flipping him over so I was on top.

“Shit,” Derek exhaled out once we broke apart. My heart pounded against my chest, and a surge of confidence and power overflowed through me, seeing Derek allow me to be on top.

My hands went to the hem of my thin tank top, and I yanked it off me.

It was only then I realized just what I did and I flushed, but Derek let out a low growl before flipping me over and all but attacking me.

A strange, choked, low voice escaped from my throat and Derek growled again, trailing down my cheeks, his stubble rough against my skin. A hum of satisfaction rumbled in my chest, and I felt Derek give light kisses as he trailed down more and more down my body.

His lips trailed down my sternum, before his mouth engulfed my left breast. A low moan fell from my lips as the electricity filled my body. His hand rubbed against my side gently, smoothly, before wrapping around my other breast, squeezing tightly.

My back arched, body craving for his touch. I needed  _more_ of it. “Derek…” I gasped out before he kissed me, effectively silencing anything else I had (or could) say. He swallowed my breath, and his tongue met mine in the middle.

The muscles rubbed against each other and I squirmed under his touch, feeling a strange heat between my legs. It was getting incredibly uncomfortable to keep wearing any more clothes.

Thankfully, Derek seemed to be able to read my mind, because his hands went to the waistband of my shorts, and he all but tugged those and my underwear out of the way. Immediately, it felt  _much_ better, but it slightly registered in my head that I was  _naked_ in front of  _Derek_ .

Instead of feeling shy, though, I gripped his head in my hands and kissed him with all the strength I could. He left me breathless all the time. Now it was his turn.

When I pulled away to breathe, Derek was breathing heavily. His half-lidded eyes were slightly unfocused, and I saw them flash electric blue for a split second.

He then closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. He opened his eyes and looked down at me, saying, “You smell delicious…” I flushed, my torso and head getting hot.

I rubbed my thighs together, seeking some sort of friction in order to ease the feeling I had between my legs.

Derek dipped his head, giving me a soft peck on my lips before working his way down slowly, but surely. He stopped to swirl his tongue around the tips of my breasts, and I let out a low moan, hands digging into his hair.

He grabbed my wrists, kissing them softly before continuing his trek south.

When he reached his destination, he made eye contact with me. I flushed, going to hide my face from him, but his voice stopped me.

“Don’t,” he said huskily. “You’re beautiful.”

My heart pounded in my chest, those words making me feel like I was on Cloud Nine. There was something about those words that just made my heart love him even more.

I waited quietly, and then I felt it.

Derek’s rough, wet tongue licked up in a strong, slow motion that felt just so  _good_ . My hands felt to my sheets, gripping them tightly as a low moan escaped my lips. It felt  _amazing_ .

My low sound seemed to trigger something inside him, because then he dug in, his scruff rough against the insides of my thighs as he worked me perfectly with his tongue.

“ _Oh_ …” I sighed, head thrashing to the side. “D- _Derek_ !” I squealed, when I felt a finger begin to probe my entrance. I moved to squeeze my thighs together, but Derek held them open and  _wide_ for him.

“I’m in charge,” he growled, pulling away. “Keep them open.” I shivered, the commanding tone causing me to practically drip in the palm of his hand (literally).

His finger continued to probe gently and I took deep, heavy breaths. When it pushed in, I squirmed. He wiggled it around and I let out a groan, feeling myself tighten around him.

“ _God_ ,” Derek groaned, his hot breath against my sensitive nub. “You’re so  _tight_ . Open them, Sindy. Open them for me.” At his command, I stretched my legs as open as I could, allowing him more entrance.

A sob escaped my throat as he moved the finger in and out, and I practically screamed when his lips wrapped around my clit.

“D- Derek!” I cried, the feeling getting heavy in the pit of my stomach. I felt something press against my entrance, and felt another finger join his first, before curling into me.

“That’s it,” he encouraged me, hand moving in and out. I could hear the soft, squishing sounds before he leaned down to kiss my center. “Let it out.”

“ _Oh_ !” I cried, when his fingers curled in a specific spot. His long, strong fingers probed me, and his tongue flicked at my clit over and over again. “R- right there!  _Please_ !” I begged. My hands shot to his head, and pressed him further into me, causing a low growl to erupt from his chest.

The growl sent vibrations through my entire body, and I wanted to weep in pleasure. Was this what it felt like?

Feeling me tighten around his fingers, he growled again, before increasing his speed. “Oh,  _God_ ! Derek!” I cried, my hips moving involuntarily to meet each and every single thrust of his hand.

I needed it… I needed him so badly, it hurt.

“Come for me, Sindy,” Derek growled.

Like a trigger, I followed his command. My heels dug into my bed and I fisted the sheets, crying out loudly as my vision all but disappeared for a split second.

I could feel Derek’s tongue lapping at me as I came down from my high, and I panted heavily, shivering slightly from Derek’s actions.

A few seconds later, Derek slid back up my body, before splaying a hand on my stomach. I placed my smaller hand on top of his larger one, and he turned his hand around so he could hold mine.

He gave me a kiss on the cheek, and I turned on my side to look at him. He released my hand and ran it up and down my side, and I snuggled into his chest.

I peppered light kisses on his chest, my hand rubbing up and down his hard chest. His hand that was rubbing on my side moved down to rub the curve of my butt, before squeezing it gently, making me let out a soft moan.

My hand trailed down, but just before they hit his belt, his free hand gripped my wrist. I looked up at him, curious. He shook his head and kissed my forehead. “It’s fine,” he told me. “It was supposed to be about you.”

“B-”

“No,” he cut me off. “I’ll be fine.”

I smiled, and the corner of his lips curled softly as well. I leaned up, giving him a small kiss, before saying, “I love you.”

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before they softened. His hand that was stroking my backside went up, running his fingers through the locks of my hair.

“One day,” he promised, pulling me into his naked chest. “One day, when I can, I’ll say it.”

I smiled, snuggling in deep and taking in his scent.

Yeah.

My life was perfect.


	16. The Alpha's Identity

**WEDNESDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 9, 2011**

Derek and I actually stayed in my bed for a long while afterwards. We didn’t say anything, choosing to bask in each other’s presence instead. It wasn’t until my stomach rumbled around noon did we decide to get dressed and grab some food in the kitchen.

After eating lunch together, we both went back to my room, where we made out a bit more before settling and watching TV together.

A little bit after three, I heard Stiles’s jeep pulling up into the driveway and got up. Derek didn’t seem to like that, but I went downstairs to go greet my brother.

When he saw me standing at the stairs, he ran towards me yelling, “Jackson knows!”

“Jackson knows what?” I inquired, confused.

Stiles all but dragged me upstairs, explaining, “Jackson found out Scott’s a werewolf. He was being a total dick, well, more than usual, to Scott, and it was driving him  _insane_ . Oh, God. We need to find a way to shut him up.”

We entered Stiles’s room, and Stiles made a bee-line for his laptop. I quirked an eyebrow at Derek, who was standing at the corner of Stiles’s room quietly.

“ _Stiles_ !” I heard our dad call. Oh, he was home.

Stiles whirled around, going, “Yo!” He then spotted Derek and his eyes widened, “D- D- Derek.”

Derek held a finger in front of his lips, signaling for Stiles to be quiet. He pointed at the door, and Stiles scrambled out of his room, keeping the door ajar.

“What’d you say?” I heard Dad ask.

“What?” Stiles played dumb. “I said, ‘Yo, D- Dad.’” He scoffed.

“Uh, listen, I’ve got something I’ve got to take care of, but I’m gonna be there tonight. I mean, your first game. Sindy in there?” Dad inquired.

“Here, Daddy!” I called, opening the door and poking my head out. “Can’t wait to see you there tonight.”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “My first game. Gyuh, it’s great. Awesome. Um… good.” I nudged my brother’s side roughly and he glared down at me.

Our dad was completely confused at the exchange, but he smiled and said to Stiles, “I’m very happy for you, and I’m really proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Stiles nodded. “Me, too. I’m happy and proud… of myself.”

“Same!” I piped in, beaming brightly. Despite everything that was going on, I  _was_ proud that Stiles finally made first line, just like he always wanted.

“So they’re really gonna let you play, right?” Dad inquired.

“Yeah, Dad. I’m first line. Can you believe that?” Stiles replied.

“I’m very proud,” Dad said, reaching to hug Stiles.

“Oh, me too,” Stiles answered, returning the hug. “Again. I’m – Huggie, huggie, huggie,” he sighed. I mentally rolled my eyes. Way to be slick, Stiles.

“I’ll see you both there,” Dad said.

I nodded and said, “Bye, Daddy!” before retreating back in my brother’s room. I plopped onto Stiles’s bed and exchanged a look with Derek, who rolled his eyes.

“Take it easy!” I heard Stiles call before he re-entered his room. “I’m sor-”Before he could get any further, Derek strode over to my brother and slammed him roughly against the door. “ _Oh_ !” His eyes widened as my… werewolf (?) pinned him to the door, and it wasn’t like he did with me.

“If you say one word,” Derek threatened.

“Oh, what? You mean like, ‘Hey, Dad, Derek Hale’s in my room and shacking up with your daughter – bring your gun?’” he threatened. That seemed to calm Derek down slightly. “Yeah, that’s right. If I’m harboring your fugitive ass, it’s  _my_ house,  _my_ rules, buddy.”

I was actually quite impressed at how Stiles was standing up to Derek. While the latter would never threaten me (I hope), it didn’t escape my knowledge that Derek  _was_ a pretty scary guy.

Derek fixed Stiles’s jacket, which had gotten messed up when he pinned him, and Stiles returned the gesture with a cocky smirk.

However, Derek then showed who was in charge and that scared the crap out of Stiles, who exclaimed, “Oh my God!” before going to his seat at his desk.

I giggled from where I sat on my bed and Derek turned to me, smirking.

“Scott didn’t get the necklace?” Derek asked, turning to look at my brother.

“No,” Stiles shook his head. “He’s still working on it. But there’s something else we can try.” Derek shoved his hands into his leather jacket pockets, walking over to Stiles, gesturing for him to continue on. “The night we were trapped at the school, Scott sent a text to Allison asking her to meet him there.”

“So?” Derek asked.

“Actually, it wasn’t Scott,” I said, taking one of Stiles’s pillows and putting it under my chin.

Derek turned to me as I talked before turning back to my brother. “Well, can you find out who sent it?”

“No,” Stiles shook his head. “Not me, but I think I know somebody who can.” He reached for his phone, tapping on the screen for a few seconds before placing it to his ear. “Hey,  _Danny_ !” he exclaimed happily. “How about coming over and doing some of that lab work?” There was a few seconds of silence as Danny on the other end replied, before Stiles said, “Great! See you in a bit!”

Stiles ended the call and placed his phone back on his desk. I quirked an eyebrow and asked, “Danny, really?” Stiles simply gave me a grin and I rolled my eyes before saying, “I’m gonna make some snacks.”

I walked downstairs, going to the kitchen. I decided to make some simple finger sandwiches, and I was just about done when the doorbell rang.

I walked over to the door, swinging it open. I smiled up at the lacrosse player before. “Hey, Danny!”

“Hey there,” Danny winked. “Where’s your brother?”

“He’s up in his room,” I replied. “Up the stairs, to the right, first door on your left. I’ll be up in a bit with some sandwiches.”

“Sweet,” Danny grinned. He walked up the stairs, and I went into the kitchen, grabbing the plate of mini-sandwiches.

Just as I was on the second floor, I heard Danny’s incredulous voice go, “You want me to do  _what_ ?”

“Trace a text,” Stiles elaborated as I pushed open the door.

“I came here to do lab work,” Danny replied. “That’s what lab partners do.”

“And we will,” Stiles reassured. “Once you trace the text.”

“And what makes you think I know how?”

“I… I looked up your arrest report, so…” Stiles sheepishly admitted.

Danny exchanged a look with me and I shrugged. He looked back down at my brother and explained, “I- I was thirteen. They dropped the charges.”

“Whatever,” Stiles shrugged.

“No,” Danny vehemently denied. “We’re doing lab work.” He grabbed a nearby chair and took hold of a sandwich I had offered. Stiles surprisingly denied it, but I assumed it was because he was trying to convince Danny to do his bidding.

So instead, I walked over to Derek, who was sitting in a chair next to Stiles’s bed, pretending to read a book. I boldly plopped myself down on Derek’s lap, and the werewolf arched a brow at me.

“Sandwich?” I offered innocently.

Derek leaned forward, and whispered in my ear, “There’s something I want to eat, but it’s not that.” Heat rose to my cheeks, understanding his innuendo.

“Who’s he again?” I heard Danny ask.

“Um, that’s Sindy’s boyfriend,” Stiles sort-of lied, typing in a few keys. “ _Miguel_ .”

Derek and I snapped up at attention, but Stiles wasn’t looking at us. I narrowed my eyes, hoping to send some twin “I’m-going-to-kill-you” vibes.

“Is that… blood on his shirt?”

“Yeah, yes,” Stiles replied. “Well, he gets these horrible nosebleeds. Don’t even know why Sindy’s going out with a loser like him.” Stiles sighed shaking his head. I wanted to chuck the porcelain plate I had right to my brother’s head. “Hey, Miguel! I thought I told you that you could borrow one of my shirts!” He subtly told Derek to get a move on.

I pursed my lips, getting to my feet. I walked over to my brother and  _accidentally_ elbowed him in the head as I placed the plate down on his desk. “ _Whoops_ ,” I said. “ _Sorry_ , Stiles.”

“No prob,” Stiles gritted out.

I turned back around and spotted Derek’s back, displaying his triskele tattoo. My lips got dry and I licked them. Oh  _God_ . Derek turned around and his eyes immediately fell on mine, and then my tongue that was sticking out.

I flushed, and whirled around.

“Stiles?” I heard Derek say.

My brother whirled around to look at my werewolf, I dared to peek at him through my brown locks. “Yes?” Stiles inquired.

“This,” Derek stretched one of Stiles’s dark shirts, “no fit.” Well,  _obviously_ . My brother wasn’t built the way Derek was… 185 pounds of pure muscle…

“Then try something else on,” Stiles said.

“Or you could stay like that,” I found myself blurting. My eyes widened and I slammed my hands over my mouth just as all three males’ eyes landed on me.

“Really good suggestion,” Danny agreed with me, before he looked down at his lap. I blushed and determinedly looked at the wall, not wanting to meet anyone’s gaze.

All of a sudden, Stiles said, “Hey! That one looks pretty good, huh? What do you think, Danny? The shirt.”

I peeked behind my locks, and saw Derek wearing Stiles’s striped orange and blue shirt.  _God_ that shirt was hideous. I don’t even know why my brother bought that shirt in the first place.

“It- it’s not really his color,” Danny said.

Derek pulled off the shirt again, and a small whimper escaped my lips. Thankfully, it was quiet enough that my brother and classmate didn’t hear, but I knew Derek did. Oh  _God_ , I couldn’t bear to look at him.

“You’re a horrible person,” I heard Danny say.

“I know,” Stiles admitted. “It keeps me awake at night. Anyway, about that text…”

“Stiles!” Derek snapped. “None of these fit!”

“I’ll need the ISP, the phone number, and the exact time of the text,” Danny cracked, and I ran out of the room, cracking myself.

I ran to the bathroom in the hallway, and placed myself over the sink, breathing heavily. I was going to die from sexual frustration because of a too-damned-sexy werewolf. I just know it.

I looked down at the sink, and before I could even react, arms snaked around my body.

I let out a breathy sigh as my head was tilted back, and my eyes met Derek’s in the mirror before us. One hand held my chin and the other was wrapped under my breasts, supporting me.

“What’s the matter?” I heard Derek ask, his hot breath against my ear. I could feel his bare chest through my shirt, as his hand under my breasts moved up to squeeze one of them tightly, and I moaned softly. He pushed himself against me, and I could feel him straining against my lower back.

“I- I…” I couldn’t form words. It was all mush.

Derek’s right hand went from my chin, and snaked down my body, before finding itself at the waistband of my shorts. I whimpered, legs shaking, and Derek shushed me. “Your brother’s just across the hall,” he said. “Be quiet, or else I’ll stop, understand?”

I nodded mutely, gripping the marble counter of my sink. He pulled away slightly, in order to take my shirt off, revealing my chest to him. His hands found their places again, and his left hand began to move.

It moved south, over my mound, brushing through the small tangles that lied there, before dancing over my clitoris briefly. I groaned and leaned over, breathing heavily.

After just fingering me one time, Derek had me needing him like a wanton hussy.

A strong, deft finger entered me and a low moan escaped my lips. It moved in and out slowly, and I whimpered, body shaking in ecstasy.

That finger was soon joined by another, and Derek rocked against me, rubbing himself against my back through his jeans. I bucked my hips a couple of times, before I felt something take over me.

I stood up straight, and whirled around, pushing Derek away from me. He stumbled in shock, eyes wide from my sudden action. I kicked down the toilet seat, and pushed Derek onto it, placing him on the seat.

He stared in shock as I dropped to my knees, hands going straight for his belt. When his belt was loose, I pulled down his pants and boxers, and my eyes widened in surprise when he revealed himself to me.

He was long, wide, and strong, and it made me doubt if I could actually do what I was planning on doing.

I gulped, but reached forward with my right hand, gripping him firmly. He let out a low groan, hands digging into my hair, tangling themselves in the locks. He nudged my head forward, and I was close to him that I could smell his musky scent.

I saw a bead leak from his tip, and rubbed my thumb over it, and he shuddered beneath me. I fisted my hand, and moved downward, before moving back up.

“Sindy…” he strangled out. My breathing got heavy and my eyes lidded as I stroked him, up, down, grip, and rub. My free hand went to my waistband, and I pulled my shorts and panties down, and I felt my slit, immediately feeling the wetness that pooled there.

I let out a soft moan, and switched hands, feeling my natural lubricant make it much easier. My hands replaced each other, and I let out a soft moan as my right hand worked myself, while my left hand fondled him.

I leaned forward, the tip enticing me. It looked amazing and beautiful, and I wondered how it’d feel inside me. Though this wasn’t the time and place for that, I knew he could be in another part of me though, so I let him.

The two of us let out a mutual moans as my small mouth wrapped around him, my left hand stroking his base and my right rubbing myself.

I pulled back, a string of saliva connecting us before I dug in again, wanting more of the husky, salty taste that was Derek. I inserted a finger inside me, and I moaned around Derek, probing myself as I took him in.

I began to work the both of us faster, and Derek’s hands tightened, guiding me how he saw fit. I breathed through my nose, taking him deep, but not overly so. That would be for another time.

Whatever I couldn’t fit, I stroked, and I soon found myself clenching around my finger, and Derek gripping me tighter, as he began to pulse in my mouth.

“S- Sindy…” Derek choked out.

I moaned in response, working faster and adding another finger inside me. I could feel myself getting closer, and worked Derek faster, wanting him to finish the same time as me.

I pulled back, unable to keep breathing through my nose, and gasped heavily as I worked my two hands. One on Derek, one on me. I gripped Derek firmly, moving up and down quickly and matching the speed of my right.

“D- Derek…” I gasped out, throwing my head back. I was getting so close.

“Sindy…” Derek said, and that was it. I exploded, and I bent over, digging my face into Derek’s jeans, which were bunched up around his knees, in order to muffle my voice. Derek exploded, and I felt warm drops of liquid hit my back, and I slumped over completely.

God, I was such a hussy.  _Shit_ , it was all Derek’s fault.

Derek’s eyes flashed and electric blue and he grabbed my left hand, pulling me up so I was sitting on his lap. He brought his right hand up and licked my fingers clean, before holding my face and kissing me gently.

I waited patiently as he cleaned himself with the toilet paper before he helped me up, grabbing a towel and wetting it before cleaning me. He gave me a gentle kiss, and we got dressed in silence.

“I love you,” I told him once I finished tugging on my shirt.

“I know,” he replied. He leaned down, kissing me again before leaving the restroom. I decided to change, and walked back to my room, needing a quick change of underwear (and shorts).

I walked back into the room, and Stiles and Danny looked at me. Danny gave me a, “ _You totally just had some form of sex_ ” face and Stiles’s face morphed into a sour look.

Well, so much for being quiet.

I flushed, but asked, “What do you have?”

“There,” Danny said, pointing at the screen. “The text was sent from a computer. This one.”

“Registered to that account name?” Derek inquired.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Stiles vehemently denied. “That can’t be right.”

And I had to agree, but the evidence didn’t lie. It clearly said the name  **Melissa McCall** on the screen.

Stiles patted Danny’s back and said, “Well, Danny, great job. Thanks for all your hard work.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Danny said, turning to look back at my brother. “You called me here.”

“I did,” Stiles replied. “And now I’m sending you off. I’ve got some things to do. Also, the game’s tonight, isn’t it?”

“Uh, yeah,” Danny nodded. Stiles made a little “go away” gesture with his hand, signaling for Danny to leave. The keeper threw me an irritated look before giving a look at Derek, before giving his “I approve” face to me before leaving the room.

We all piled into Stiles’s jeep, with me in the back seat. As Stiles headed to the hospital, his phone  _ping_ ed, signaling he got a new text.

Stiles looked down, and furrowed his brows, before reporting, “It’s from Scott.”

“What’s it say?” Derek asked, and Stiles pulled off to the side to check.

I peered over my brother’s shoulder, and saw it was an image from Scott. Stiles pulled it up, and the three of us looked at the strange picture on Allison’s necklace.

“Call him,” Derek ordered.

Stiles did as the werewolf told him to, and held it on speaker so we could listen.

_“Did you get the picture?”_ Scott asked, not beating around the bush.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “I did, and it looks just like the drawing.”

Derek reached over, grabbing Stiles’s wrist tightly, asking into the phone, “Hey, is there something on the back of it? There’s gotta be something. An inscription, an opening,  _something_ .”

Throughout the Derek’s inquiring, Stiles looked like he was in pain, as Derek was twisting his wrist at a strange angle in order to talk to Scott. I looked at my brother sympathetically and he mouthed, “ _Do something!”_ to me.

“Derek?” I called to my werewolf sort-of-boyfriend. Derek looked at me inquiringly. “Wanna ease up on that grip on my brother?” Derek looked down at his hand, which was still gripping Stiles’s wrist. Derek rolled his eyes before releasing his grip.

Stiles rubbed his right wrist as Scott gave his reply.

_“No,”_ Scott sighed.  _“The thing’s flat. And no, it doesn’t open. There’s nothing in it, on it, around it,_ nothing _. And where are you? You’re supposed to be here. You’re_ firstline _.”_

I heard Scott let out a grunt of surprise before Coach Finstock’s voice asked,  _“Where the hell is Bilinski?”_

_“Man, you’re not gonna play if you’re not here to start.”_

Stiles sighed exasperatingly. “I know. Look, if you see my dad, can you tell him… tell him I’ll be there. I’ll just be a little bit late, okay?” Scott sighed, but agreed, nonetheless. “Alright, thanks.” Stiles hung up, putting his phone away.

“You’re not gonna make it,” Derek deadpanned.

“I know.”

“And you didn’t tell him about his mom, either.”

“Not until we find out the truth,” Stiles said, looking at the entrance of the hospital.

“By the way, one more thing?” Derek inquired.

“Yeah?” Stiles asked right back, turning to Derek. All of a sudden, Derek reached over, placed his hand on the back of my brother’s head, and slammed his head into the steering wheel. “Oh, God!” Stiles cried out in pain, throwing his head back quickly. “What the hell was–”

“ _You know_ what that was for,” Derek pointed at my brother with an irritated look. “Go.” He ordered. When Stiles didn’t move, he repeated, “ _Go_ .”

I moved to pile out of the car, too, but Derek held out a hand. “Where are you going?”

“Um… inside with Stiles…?” I asked more than replied.

“The Alpha could be in there,” Derek pointed out. I gave him a  _no, duh_ look. “You’re not going. It’s too dangerous.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be fine, Derek. Stiles needs back up anyway. Besides, I have more access around the hospital than Stiles does.”

Derek pursed his lips, scowling. He obviously wasn’t happy about the pros of me going versus the cons.

I quirked an eyebrow and pulled out my phone, dialing his number before his phone began to ring. He looked at me curiously and I explained, “If it helps, I’ll be on the phone the entire time.”

He picked up, and sighed, defeated. “Just be careful.”

I smiled, leaning forward to give him a swift peck. “Of course,” I replied before giving him another kiss. I left the jeep, following Stiles into the hospital.

“You guys are sickening,” Stiles commented casually, walking next to me.

I quirked an eyebrow. “Just like your love sickness over Lydia?” My brother made to make a response, but ended up sputtering random syllables. “Terrific response,” I said sarcastically, looking around for Melissa.

I placed the phone on speaker, since there was hardly anyone around. “So, Melissa’s not here.”

_“Try harder,”_ Derek insisted.

Stiles and I wandered to the burn wing and my brother sighed out, “Look, we can’t find her.”

_“Ask for Jennifer,”_ Derek insisted.  _“She’s been looking after my uncle.”_

“Yeah, well, he’s not here either,” Stiles commented casually as I looked around. I skidded to a stop, and he did as well, realizing what he just said.

_“What?”_

“H- he’s not here…” I said slowly, looking into the room. Peter was supposed to be a comatose burned patient. You don’t touch the comatose patients unless you wash them… “He’s gone, Derek.”

_“Sindy, Stiles, get out of there right now! It’s_ him _! He’s the Alpha!_ Get out _!”_

My brother’s hand snaked into my free one and gripped me tightly as we slowly backed away from the room. I jumped in shock when I saw a familiar figure standing, leaning casually against the wall, with half his face scarred from burns.

“You must be Stiles and Sindy,” the man said casually.

Stiles’s grip got tighter and he began to speed walk away, dragging me with him. I matched his pace easily, eager to leave this place as well, but we were stopped in our tracks by the arrival of Jennifer.

“I knew there was a reason why I didn’t like you,” I groaned quietly, seeing the snarky woman.

The corner of her lips curled in disgust. “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be working and visiting hours are over.”

“You – and him…” Stiles slowly connected. “Y- you’re the one who… oh, my… and he’s the… Oh my God, I’m gonna die.”

“Shut the fuck  _up_ , Stiles,” I growled.

“I’m gonna die,” Stiles repeated, shaking his head. “We’re gonna fucking  _die_ , Sindy.”

Chills climbed up my spine, and I didn’t want to believe it, but… Stiles was probably right. We were probably going to die.


	17. The Lowest Circle of Hell

**WEDNESDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 9, 2011**  

Before I could puke up my guts, I saw a flash of black before Jennifer was elbowed in the face by Derek, who was glowering at Peter.

“Derek!” I exclaimed, letting go of my brother. I ran to him, circling my arms around his hard body, eagerly taking in his presence, scent, everything.

Derek’s arms circled around me, and after checking to see that I was unscathed, he continued to glare at his uncle.

"That’s not nice,” Peter said tauntingly. “She’s my nurse.”

“She’s a psychotic bitch helping you kill people,” Derek growled, and I could hear and feel the rumble as a strange vibration filled his throat and chest. Derek pulled me softly away from him. “I’ll protect you,” he told me, before looking back up. “Get out of the way and take your sister somewhere.”

“Oh, damn,” Stiles groaned before striding over to me, practically peeling me away from Derek. I didn’t want to leave him, but in this case, it was mind over matter, and my mind was telling me that I  _had_ to get away.

“You think I killed Laura on purpose? One of my own family?” Peter tried to explain himself, striding over to Derek.

A familiar growled echoed through the hallways and I turned to see Derek’s eyes glow an electric blue before charging at his uncle; however, Derek was pinned to the wall and we dodged the fighting werewolves.

“Shit,” Stiles cursed, dragging me with him. We almost ran right into Jennifer’s unconscious body. We could hear the sounds of fighting and roaring echo behind us and we quickly ran out of the hospital.

“Climb in!” Stiles ordered once we got to his jeep. I got into the passenger seat, and watched as my brother started his engine.

“Wait, what about Derek?!” I cried.

“Sindy, your boyfriend’s a  _freakin’_ **_werewolf_ ** . He can take care of himself. Now,  _us_ ? Remember those bunnies that I suggested Scott killed?” I nodded. “Well, if Peter catches  _us_ , that’s what we’ll be! We’ll be baked in those stupid little werewolf ovens!”

He peeled out of the parking lot, and I hoped that Derek would be alright.

“Where we going?” I inquired. “Are we gonna warn Scott?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. He tapped at his steering wheel as we were stopped by a red light, and the insistent tapping was  _really_ getting on my nerves.

“ _Stiles_ !” I snapped.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, his tapping coming to a stop. The light then chose that moment to turn green, and he drove as fast as he could to the school.

Once we arrived, we climbed out of the car quickly, rushing to the locker room, where we knew Scott would still be. Thankfully, it looked like everyone was completely gone, so we could have our conversation in private.

“ **_DUDE_ ** !” Stiles cried, almost running right into the doorframe. “We have a huge problem.”

Scott was sitting on one of the benches, dressed in nothing but a towel. The strange thing was, he was completely dry.

“Trust me… I know,” our best friend said solemnly.

We exchanged notes, with Stiles and I telling Scott about tracking down his text, and then finding out about Melissa, and then driving to the hospital, and Scott exchanged his story about Peter and Derek visiting him just a few minutes before us.

“W- Wait…” I stopped the two boys before anything else could happen. “Derek’s…  _working with_ Peter?”

“That’s what I just said,” Scott threw me an irritated look.

I tossed back the look with double the fervor. “Look, Scott, I’m just trying to get my facts straight. Don’t get pissy at me.”

“And we shouldn’t get pissy at  _each other_ ,” Stiles said, jumping in before an all-out brawl could occur. “So, what do we do now?”

“Well, the Argents suspect Jackson’s the second Beta, so we have to keep an eye on him,” Scott sighed, standing up and walking to his locker. I turned around so the boy could get dressed.

“So we’re gonna stalk Jackson?” I inquired.

“That sounds all sorts of illegal,” Stiles pointed out. “We’re merely  _watching over_ him.”

“So stalking him,” I clarified. “I’m gonna head back to the jeep first.” I left the locker room, leaving the two boys to talk if they needed to. Right now, I really just needed to go home and sleep off today’s events… And send an angry message to Derek.

A few minutes after I got into the back, Scott and Stiles walked out of the school and climbed into the car themselves. The drive was pretty much silent, which was unusual for us, but lately, I’ve felt as though things were just so overwhelming.

Scott was dropped off first, and Stiles drove us back to our house.

I closed the door to my bedroom, before plopping myself on my bed with a heavy sigh. I grabbed one of my pillows, hugging it close to me as I frowned.

Why would Derek go to Peter? He killed his sister…

The small hairs on the back of my neck tingled, and I felt a warm sensation flood through me, even though there was suddenly a breeze in my room.

I sat up quickly, looking at the tall frame that had suddenly appeared.

I narrowed my eyes, clutching my pillow tightly towards me, wanting some comfort. He stepped forward, and I scooted back.

“What are you doing?” Derek asked, taking another step forward. The moonlight outside shone on his profile, highlighting just how dark and dangerous he could really be.

“Backing away from you,” I stated the obvious. I scooted until I was all the way against the wall. “Why’d you go to Peter? He killed Laura.”

At the mention of his sister’s name, Derek’s eyes flashed a dangerous blue, before reverting back to his celadon. “I know.”

“Then  _why_ ?” I asked. “You’re siding with a murderer.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Derek replied, taking a couple more steps. “It makes me sick to even  _think_ about being around in his presence.”

“Then  _why_ ?” I repeated, curling my knees to my chest.

Derek loomed over my bed, before climbing onto it slowly, like a predator stalking his prey. “Do you trust me?”

“Always,” I replied without a second thought. He was one of the most wanted men in the county, a werewolf, and siding with his psychopathic uncle who was originally comatose, but I’d trust him with everything I had. I  _do_ trust him with everything I have.

“Then trust me,” Derek vaguely answered. He grabbed hold of the pillow I had and slowly dragged it away. My eyes followed the item before his free hand moved my chin to look back at him.

I felt a pull, and my eyelids started to get heavy. My head slumped slightly into his hold, and I felt his lips ghost mine, before pulling back, and smashing themselves back on me powerfully.

My hands immediately went to his neck, wrapping around him tightly. His hands went to my back, pulling me flush against him. My heart pounded like a jackhammer, and I was sure Derek could hear it practically ringing in his ears.

My head throbbed as the oxygen was taken away from me, but I persisted. He lifted me, getting onto his knees before placing me gently along the length of my bed.

His warm, slick tongue licked against my lips, and I shuddered involuntarily in a good way before opening my mouth. He wasted no time entering me, quickly meeting up with my own tongue, and they rubbed against each other.

My hands trailed down his toned body, before going back up and grabbing the flaps of his leather jacket. I pulled it off of him, throwing it aside.

Derek’s hands moved to my shirt, pulling it off, disconnecting our kiss for a brief second. I took the opportunity to take off his shirt, too, before his lips came crashing down back onto mine.

Our teeth clashed, and I pulled him down, his naked chest coming into contact with my bra-clad one. He trailed his kisses from my lips down my jaw, before heading to my neck.

He nipped at the skin there, and a low groan escaped from my lips.

Derek quickly shushed me huskily. “Stay quiet or else someone will come in, and I’ll have to stop. You don’t want me to stop, do you?”

“No,” I shook my head fervently. “ _Please_ .”

Derek chuckled darkly, before behind his neck and continuing his kisses, just as furiously and passionately as before our little talk. I bit my bottom lip as he nipped at my pulse, and tightened my grip on the back of his neck. I threw my legs over his hips, pulling him flush against me so we were practically one.

I arched my back as I felt one of his rough hands slide over my body, reaching back for the hook. He unclasped my bra easily and threw it aside.

Derek chose that moment to pull back, sitting up on his knees. His eyes scanned my body, which was undoubtedly flushed as I took deep, heavy breaths.

They flashed an electric blue as they met my eyes and I gasped at how beautiful they were. I’d seen them revert to this color before, but never had I made eye contact with him when his eyes were a bright azure.

He leaned down, giving me a kiss that made my heart want to explode. He pulled back, and I took in a deep breath as his kiss went to my chest. His lips trailed down my sternum, then back up, before he moved to my left.

I could feel his hot breath against my perky nipple, and then when his lips surrounded it, I threw my arm over my mouth and groaned into it.

He suckled my breast like a newborn, and his tongue flicked at my nipple. His left hand went up and wrapped around my right breast, massaging and pinching the tip.

“D- Derek…” I gasped. His free hand trailed down, over my flat stomach from years of running, before going to the button of my jeans. He quickly disposed of them, and if I wasn’t so heated, I’d definitely feel the actual coolness of my room.

His mouth switched breasts and I felt his right hand rub my inner thighs, before his fingers ghosted between my legs. A small whimper escaped my lips involuntarily and I could feel his smirk before his finger stopped right above where I wanted him the most.

“You have to stay quiet,” Derek huskily reminded me. I nodded mutely, and I felt him press down harder. I could feel the slickness and apparently, he could, too, because he let out a low growl, his chest rumbling. “You’re so wet. I can feel you through this scrap of fabric.”

I whimpered in response, and he squeezed my breast in reply before pushing back my panties. The rough pads of his fingers traced the outside, sending sharp tingles down my spine.

My mouth formed a small _O_ shape and I arched into his touch. “Derek…” I sighed out.

My wish was granted when he inserted his first finger inside me, and we let out collective groans. The digit began to slide in and out of me. I opened my legs wider to let him rest comfortably in between them before placing my feet flat against my bed, bending my knees.

Derek leaned down to kiss me, and I could hear the sound of a zipper being dragged down and then the sound of denim being moved. He added a second finger inside me and I whimpered, throwing my arms over his neck to deepen the kiss.

He pulled back, shifting himself, but his fingers didn’t cease his movements. My body trembled under his gaze and he groaned, his fingers shifting inside me when my body clenched around him involuntarily.

“Derek…” I said quietly.

“Sindy,” he said just as quietly back.

I sat up, whimpering softly when Derek removed his fingers and moved Derek so he was back on the bed. I splayed myself over him, and sensually moved my body against his as I leaned down to capture his lips with mine.

I trailed my kisses down his body, fingers ghosting over the hard planes of his muscles. A low growl erupted from his chest and I smiled against his skin, before moving down further.

I came face-to… head (?) with him down below, and I reached forward, taking him in my palm. He was actually so big I couldn’t fully wrap my hand around him fully. I leaned forward, kissing the tip, earning him another growl.

I tentatively licked the tip and Derek growled, louder this time, before pulling me back up.

“You’ll have to stop that, minx, or else I won’t be responsible for my actions,” Derek warned me as I hovered over him.

I grinned wickedly down at him. “Maybe I want you to let loose… c’mon, Derek. Don’t be such a sourwolf…”

He scowled back up at me before flipping me over. A spike of arousal filled my body as I gazed back up into his pale green eyes, which changed to blue and reverted back very quickly.

His tip probed my entrance and he entered briefly before pulling back, making me whine. “Derek!” I complained.

“Patience,” he told me. “Eventually, but not tonight.” He kissed my lips, before his tip made contact with my clit. I moaned into his mouth and bucked my hips, eager to have that feeling run through me again.

He began to move, sliding him against my entrance, occasionally dipping in, but never fully so. He’d retract before anything happened and continued to move.

He crashed his lips onto mine and continued to move against me. I moaned into his mouth, “Faster Derek…” His thrusts began to increase in speed, my juices lubricating him, and him against my nub.

I wrapped my legs around his hips, eager to feel every inch he had to offer me. I could feel the pressure begin to build, and gasped, trying to breathe properly.

There was a heavy tug, almost like I needed to go, and my toes began to curl. I glanced up, and saw Derek staring down at me intently. He kissed me again, our lips and teeth clashing haphazardly.

He pulled back, and whispered in my ear, “Let go, little squirrel.”

That did it for me, and I let out a cry that Derek swallowed as my lower body erupted. I could feel the juices trickle down my legs, lubricating Derek as he started moving roughly against me, his hands tightly around my hips.

“D- Derek,” I gasped, grabbing his shoulders tightly, clinging to him.

“Sindy,” he groaned in response, before I felt a warm wetness hit my stomach. I could feel him throbbing against me as he released on me.

He still kept himself upright, but took in heavy breaths as he looked down at me. He kissed me gently before pushing himself up.

He got up, grabbing a small towel I had in one of my drawers. How he knew that, I wouldn’t know. I watched as he took my water bottle and poured some water onto the cloth before walking back to me.

He cleaned my stomach before getting my legs and center. I shuddered, still sensitive to his touch, and I didn’t miss the smirk that was on his face. He then cleaned himself before placing the cloth back on the nightstand.

As he put on his boxers and jeans, I stuttered out, “I- I thought women didn’t…” I was unsure of what just happened.

He raised a brow at me before taking a seat at the edge of my bed. “But didn’t you just do so?”

I flushed, grabbing my blankets and rolling in them until I was in a protective cocoon. I peeked out from underneath my covers and he chuckled.

His small smile disappeared and a darkness loomed over his eyes. I looked at him curiously. “Be careful, Sindy,” he said. “Don’t come looking for me.”

“W- what…?” I asked.

“Don’t call me,” he said. “I’ll find you. I don’t know if anything will happen to me, but stay away. It’s not safe.”

“I think it’s too late for that,” I quipped.

“I’m serious, Sindy,” Derek told me. “You’re already in danger with the company you keep around. Kate might go after you. She has no morals.”

I nodded, curling into a small ball, but still keeping my eyes on him. I blinked and he looked down at me. He leaned down, kissing my forehead softly. “You’re important to me, Sindy. Stay safe.”

My heart skipped a beat and he smirked. I blushed, hiding my head in my sheets again. He touched my hair gently before I could hear him get off my bed. I peeked up behind my sheets to see him throw on his shirt and jacket.

He gave me one last look, his eyes burning intently before heading to my window, jumping out of it.

I got out of bed to close my window, and threw on a pair of new panties and a t-shirt. I climbed back into my bed, and could smell the lingering scent of Derek. I grabbed the pillow he had his head on earlier and squealed.

Once I got all that excess excitement out of my body, I could feel the draining effects of what had occurred a few minutes ago catching up on me. I began to close my eyes, and slowly drift off to bed, with the last thought thinking of Derek.

The next day, I found myself doing homework, when Stiles burst into my room. “Sindy!” he cried.

I wasn’t surprised as I looked up, because I had heard his thundering footsteps. “Back from stalking Jackson?”

He scowled at me. After school, he and Scott had followed Jackson. I had chosen to opt out, claiming if Jackson found out, I didn’t want to be arrested for stalking.

“I got some news for you. But first, let’s get some milk,” he said.

“You could just get some and come back up here,” I told him.

“I’m hungry, too,” Stiles added. I rolled my eyes, getting myself up from my bed. I followed my brother downstairs, and he rushed to the fridge, taking the half-gallon of milk out.

“Use a cup!” I scolded, hitting his stomach.

“Ouch!” Stiles complained. “I’m gonna finish it anyway!” He looked over and we saw our dad sitting at the kitchen table, looking over a bunch of paperwork. A mischievous look appeared on Stiles’s face.

I looked at him pointedly.

He grinned before asking Dad, “What’cha doin’?”

“Work,” Dad curtly replied.

“Anything I can help with?” Stiles inquired.

“Y’know… if you poured me an ounce of whiskey, that’d be awfully nice.”

Without hesitation, Stiles placed the milk down and grabbed a cup and the whiskey. He stalked over to the kitchen table and I rolled my eyes, following him. This wasn’t going to end well.

“Any leads?” Stiles asked, eagerly reaching for the paperwork.

Dad slapped his hand away and I rolled my eyes again. “You know I can’t discuss that with you,” Dad told us. Stiles opened the whiskey and Dad added, “Not too much.”

Stiles poured a little bit, before an invisible lightbulb appeared at the top of his forehead.

My eyes widened and I looked at him.  _‘Stiles, don’t you dare,’_ I thought.

Stiles threw me a look.  _‘C’mon, Sindy! This is our chance to gather more information about Peter and his psychopathic werewolf tendencies!’_

I glared at him. He looked at Dad and continued to pour  _way_ more than an ounce.

God, I’m going to Hell.

“Bottom’s up,” Stiles said, placing the full cup of whiskey in front of our father. Dad took it, drinking it swiftly.

Dad placed the cup back onto the table and sighed out, “You know, Derek Hale would be a whole hale of a lot… hale of a lot…?”

“Hell of a lot?” I suggested.

“Hell. Yes,” Dad nodded. “He would be a hell of a lot easier to catch if we could get an actual picture of him.”

“How do you not have a picture of him…?” Stiles looked at Dad questioningly. Stiles  _knew_ I had a couple of pictures with Derek in my phone. What? He was pretty to look at.

“It’s the weirdest thing,” Dad told us. “It’s like every time we tried to get a mug shot, it’s like two… laser beams were pointing at the camera.”

Stiles picked up a picture, letting me look at it was well. It was a mug shot of who I guessed was Derek, but there was some weird light obstructing the view of the person. I remembered Derek telling me about it, but he could control his eyes to not react to camera flashes, hence why I was able to get a few pictures.

“Nice,” Stiles commented.

Dad let out a heavy sigh and exclaimed, “God, that ounce hit me like a brick! And I have said _way_ too much, and if you two repeat any of that-”

“Dad,” Stiles interrupted. “It’s me,” he quipped. “And Sindy. We’re not gonna say anything. Come on.”

“See, the thing is, they’re all connected. I mean, the bus driver that got killed, he was an insurance investigator assigned to the Hale house fire,” Dad informed us.

Stiles picked up a piece of document and read, “ _Terminated under suspicion of fraud._ ” My brother looked at me. That explained why he was killed by Peter.

“Exactly,” Dad nodded.

“Who else?” Stiles inquired.

“The video store clerk who got his throat slashed – he’s a convicted felon. History of arson.”

Okay…

“And the other two guys that were killed in the woods?” I asked. Stiles looked at me with a satisfied look. I shot him a look to just shut up.

“Priors all over their records, including–”

“Arson,” Stiles concluded. “So maybe they all had something to do with the fire. Another shot?” He picked up the bottle and cup.

“No,” Dad shook his head. “No, no, no more.”

“Dad, come on,” Stiles urged. “You work really hard, alright? You deserve it.” Oh God. My brother was dead-set on getting our father drunk.

“I’m gonna have such a hangover,” Dad groaned.

“You mean you’re gonna have a good night’s _sleep_!” Stiles exclaimed enthusiastically, turning around to pour more whiskey. “And I’m gonna have an eternity in the lowest circle of hell.” I nodded mutely. Right there with you, brother.

Dad finished the cup in no time, and almost dropped it, which forced Stiles to catch it.

“Stiles, Sindy,” he sighed. “There’s just so many questions.”

“Like what…?” I inquired. Ugh. I was going to hell anyway. Might as well do it thoroughly.

“Like if Derek wanted to kill everyone involved with the fire… Then why start with his sister? I mean… she had nothing to do with it. Why make it look like some kind of animal did it…? When that cougar ended up in the parking lot… I checked with animal control. You know the instances of wild animal reports were up seventy percent over the past few months? It’s like they’re just going crazy, running out of the woods. I don’t know.”

Stiles and I licked our lips before saying together, “Or something’s scaring them out.” My mind flashed to an image of Peter in the Alpha form.

“You know, I miss talking to you guys,” Dad sighed. “It’s like we never have time…”

“Dad,” Stiles interrupted, standing up and grabbing my hand. “You know. We have to make a phone call… We’re sorry. We’ll be right back.”

I heard Dad continue talking softly as we made our way out of the kitchen, “I do. I miss it. And I miss your guys’ mom.”

I stopped in my tracks, a warm feeling that I hadn’t felt in a long time fill through me. I missed Mom, too.

“What’d you say?” Stiles inquired, going to Dad, stopping him from drinking any further.

“Thanks…” Dad said quietly.

“No,” I said quietly. “Thank _you_ , Dad.”


	18. Weakness

**FRIDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 11, 2011**

“Call it again,” Scott demanded for the umpteenth time, causing my brother to exhale exasperatedly.

“It’s not here,” Stiles tried in vain to get Scott to stop wrecking the room. “So you lost your phone, why don’t you just get a new one?”

“I can’t afford a new one!” Scott exclaimed. “And I can’t do this alone.” He scrambled under his bed and threw out a couple shoes and some magazines. “We have to find Derek.”

“Well,  _A_ , you’re not alone. There’s Sindy and me. And  _B_ , didn’t you say Derek walked into gunfire? He sounds pretty dead.”

I glared at Stiles from where I sat. “Don’t  _say_ that,” I hissed.

“Right,” Stiles looked reprimanded. “I’m sorry.”

“Argent’s plan was to use him to get to the Alpha,” Scott said, throwing some jeans around. I rolled the chair to the side to dodge them. “They’re not gonna kill him.”

“Alright, so then just let them do what they’re planning, y’know?” Stiles shrugged. “They use Derek to get Peter, problem solved.”

“Not if Peter’s going after Allison to find Derek!” Scott exclaimed. “I can’t protect her on my own, which means we either find Derek first… J- just help me!”

“You probably lost it when you two were fighting,” Stiles deadpanned. “You remember that, when he was trying to kill you, after you interrupted him trying to kill Jackson? Are you starting to see a pattern of violent behavior here?”

“Are you implying something, Stiles?” I arched a brow, challenging my older twin brother.

“Are you trying to tell me something, Sindy?” Stiles asked back.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re ridiculous, Stiles. Derek might not hesitate to hurt you, but he won’t hurt me.”

“He wasn’t going to kill anyone,” Scott said firmly. “And I’m not letting him die.”

“Could you at least think about letting him die? For me?” Stiles inquired. I smacked his head. “Ow!” Scott looked completely distracted though, and Stiles asked, “What?”

“My mom just got home from work,” he informed us. He was silent for a couple seconds, and then frowned deeply.

I matched his look with my face. “I- is she okay?” Scott shook his head.

“What’s she doing?” Stiles asked.

“Crying,” he told us solemnly. He walked over to the bed and slumped down into it, defeated.

“Scott, you can’t protect everyone,” Stiles said comfortingly.

“I have to,” the werewolf declared. I looked off in the distance, wondering where Derek was…

**DEREK HALE**

"C’mon, Derek, he killed your sister,” Kate said, going through my personal items. “Now, either you’re not telling me because, well, you want to kill him yourself, or for some reason, you’re protecting him.” She walked over to me and grabbed my face with her hardened hand, chuckling lowly. “Look at that sour face. I bet you always used to get people coming up to you saying, ‘Smile, Derek.’ ‘Why don’t you smile more?’ Don’t you just wanna kick those people in face?”

She walked away and I glowered at her retreating back. “I can think of one,” I said, imagining myself dropping a nice, clean hit across her face. My mother taught me not to hit women, but I think she’d allow me this exception.

“Promise?” Kate asked, picking up my cell phone. “‘Cause if I thought you’d be that much fun… I’d let you go. Alright, let’s see…” she muttered, going through my phone. "Nothing, nothing, nothing. God, I hate this detective crap.”

“Are you gonna torture me, or are you just gonna talk me to death, huh?” I demanded. She needed to get away from my phone. I didn’t know if Sindy had tried to contact me, and I couldn’t risk it.

“Oh, sweetie,” Kate said, turning back to look at me. “I don’t wanna torture you… I just wanna catch up. Remember all the  _fun_ we had together?”

“Like the time you burned my family alive?” I growled.

She laughed dryly. “No, I was thinking more about the…  _hot_ ,  _crazy_ sex we had.” She walked over to me, touching me. It made me both physically and mentally ill that I ever did that with her. Thank God I always used a condom. “But the fire thing… yeah, that was fun, too.” I fought against the chains. “I love how much you hate me. Remember how this felt?”

She licked my abdominals, and unlike with Sindy, which caused me to shudder in pleasure and want to hold her and never let go, this invoked a rage inside me. How  _dare_ she touch me like that? Like the way Sindy and I shared a bond together?

My fangs elongated and I roared at her, snapping my teeth at her. Just a few inches more… get closer so I can rip your goddamn throat out.

“Mhm… sweetheart, I really don’t want to torture you,” she said, lying through her teeth. She walked over to my phone, tapping on the screen. Her eyes widened and she commented casually, “Ooh. She’s a cutie… a bit…  _young_ for you, don’t you think, though? Never thought you were one for mirror pictures.”

She flipped my phone around, and showed me a picture. I looked at it, and saw the smiling face of Sindy, beaming right back at me. She had a habit of taking my phone and taking pictures with it, and though it annoyed me, I never could delete them.

I probably should’ve, though, because the sadistic smirk that appeared on Kate’s face didn’t bode well.

Shit. She found what she needed.

**TUESDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 15, 2011**

“Hey, Sindy,” a voice called, making me look up from my book.

I recognized the voice easily, but was curious as to why she was addressing me. I looked at the strawberry blonde curiously and said cautiously, “Hi… Lydia…”

She slid into the seat across from me, and asked, “What are you reading?”

“Erm…” I said, looking from her to back to my book. “ _The Left Hand of God_ by Paul Hoffman.”

“Is it any good?”

“It’s alright, I guess,” I replied. “It’s pretty dark, but… it’s not bad.” Lydia nodded, an uninterested look on her face. “Can I help you with something…?” I inquired.

“You’re going to the dance, right?”

“Er… yeah.”

“With who?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. Scott’s probably gonna go with Allison. I’ll probably just show up with Stiles. You?”

A sour look appeared on Lydia’s face before I heard the sound of rushed footsteps. “Sindy!” Stiles cried, almost falling over the table, startling Lydia. I, however, was used to his sporadic behavior. “Scott and I-” he cut himself off when he saw the company I was around, “hey, there, Lydia…”

The girl pursed her lips before saying, “Hi.”

“A- Anyway…” Stiles said, turning back to me. “Scott and I kinda need you. Erethay isway away oblempray ithway ethay olfway.” He gave a nudge to the doors of the library.

I rolled my eyes before saying, “Excuse me, Lydia. I have something I apparently need to take care of.”

“You wanna go dress-shopping today after school?” Lydia asked bluntly. “With Allison and me?”

I blinked. _What did she just ask me?_

A sharp sting on my side shook me out of my thoughts and I turned to glare at my brother. I elbowed him back, and he let out a breathless gasp, leaning over in pain.

“Sure,” I smiled at Lydia. I grabbed Stiles by the ear before dragging him out, with him letting out pained “ow”s as we left the library.

I spotted Scott pacing in front of the library and released my brother, going over to the boy. I hit his shoulder, making him jump in surprise. When he looked down and only saw me, he blurted out, “I can’t go to the Formal.”

I blinked. “And the problem here is…”

“I won’t be there to protect Allison,” Scott said. “At least, not being  _seen_ .”

“Then get someone else to ask her in your place,” I told him.

“Like who?”

I gave him a pointed look.

A light bulb went off in Scott’s head and he grabbed Stiles. “Sindy, you’re a genius,” Scott thanked me. “C’mon, Jackson’s still in the locker room.” And with that, Scott dragged Stiles off down the hallways.

“Can you guys  _stop_ dragging me?!” Stiles protested loudly, but thankfully, Stiles’s actions didn’t receive  _that_ many curious stares. My twin brother, ladies and gentlemen.

After school, Lydia approached me, telling me to get in Allison’s car. I looked at Stiles and Scott, who were planning on following us. After all, where I went, these two were usually right with me, unless I was in a library. Then they’re far away.

I handed Stiles my car keys, before sliding into the backseat of Allison’s car.

“So, do you have any idea about what dress you’re going to wear?” Lydia asked, fixing her make-up as Allison drove off.

“Not really,” I replied, shaking my head. “Maybe something more casual than dressy. Not really anybody to impress.”

“What about that kid you’re sometimes with?” Lydia probed.

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Who?”

“I think she means your chem partner… Isaac, I think was his name?” Allison provided for me.

“Oh, Isaac,” I realized. “I think he has to work that night for his father, so, no. Normally, I’d just go with Scott, but… uh…” I trailed off, seeing the sad look in Allison’s eyes in the rear view mirror. “He can’t go.”

We got to the mall, and I moved to follow the girls, leaving some distance between us. To be honest, I wasn’t comfortable around them. I was more comfortable around guys, mainly my brother, Scott, and Derek, and occasionally Isaac, though I had a feeling he wasn’t as clumsy as he let on.

“Get up here,” Lydia said, hooking her arms around mine to drag me forward. Once she was satisfied with the distance, she let go of me. Then she turned to Allison and said, “So, Allison. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Allison shook her head as we went up the escalator. “I just – I have a lot on my mind.”

“You could smile, at least. Ever heard of the saying, ‘Never frown. Someone could be falling in love with your smile’? Smile, Allison. I’m buying you a dress.”’

“Have to admit as far as apologies go, that’s more than I expected,” Allison quipped.

“Excellent,” Lydia gave a satisfied smile.

“But not as much as I’m going to ask.”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re going to cancel on whatever dumb, roided-up jock you said yes to and you’re going with someone else,” Allison said as we reached the next floor.

Lydia looked at her best friend curiously. “Who?”

Allison gave a satisfied smile as she turned her head, saying, “Him.”

I turned my head to see my brother standing at a display, looking at a new perfume. He sprayed it in his face by accident, and then sneezed. I rolled my eyes.  _Nice going, Stiles._

“ _Oh_ ,” Allison groaned compassionately. “Don’t frown, Lydia. Someone could be falling in love with your smile.” Lydia threw Allison a scathing look, but the brunette just looked at me and winked.

I smiled, shaking my head. I pulled out my phone and texted Stiles,  _Looks like you have a date for the Formal._

**Stiles Stilinski: _Wait. What? YOU GOT ME A DATE?!_**

**Sindy Stilinski: _Allison did. Lydia._**

**Stiles Stilinski: _I love her._**

**Sindy Stilinski: _Don’t blow it, stud. Might wanna wipe that snot off your face, too._**

I noticed Stiles perked up before quickly wiping his face. When he realized there wasn’t any snot, he threw me a glare. I smiled at him before skipping after Allison and Lydia.

“Hey, Sindy,” Lydia called, showing me a cute little dress. “Look at this. This is totally you.” I looked at it, taking in the black dress, decorated with ivory, red, and grey little flowers. It wasn’t  _wintery_ , but then again, what  _is_ winter in California?

I smiled, taking the dress in my hands. “Thanks, Lydia. Should I go try it on now or later with you guys?”

“Try it on now,” Lydia insisted. “Then text me.” I went to get out my phone to get her number, but then remember I already had it because of a group project last year.

Lydia gave me a small smile before I walked to the dressing room, passing by Scott, who was not-so-stealthily hiding behind some clothing. I shot him a pointed look and he looked totally confused. I wanted to just face palm myself. At least look like you’re  _not_ spying on your ex-girlfriend.

“Wish me luck,” Stiles whispered in my ear, approaching me.

“Good luck,” I grinned, and watched him make a beeline to Lydia, who didn’t hesitate to start throwing different dresses at my brother. I let out a small laugh, walking into the changing room.

I changed into my dress, feeling it brush against the top of my kneecaps.

I spun around, checking to see how the back looked, and couldn’t help but think what would Derek think of this dress.

I saw the curtain of the dressing room move, and furrowed my eyebrows, confused. “Lydia?” I called out. When I didn’t receive a response, I asked, “Allison?” Nothing. “Stiles?” Nope. “Scott?” Who else would be here? “… Derek?”

The curtains suddenly flung open and a man dressed in heavy black clothing came storming in. I moved to scream, but he flung a cloth over my mouth.

I struggled against him, elbowing him the gut. He groaned, but kept a firm grip on me. I continued struggling, my mind getting hazier and hazier. I tried holding my breath, but it was useless, and before I knew it, all was black.

**DEREK HALE**

I was utterly exhausted, from the electric shockwaves. My body was healing, but it didn’t get the chance to fully heal when Kate would send more shocks through my body.

She taunted me, almost like she was stalling. She wouldn’t kill me, because I knew everything. But that smirk on her face, was mocking me, as she taunted me about the past.

She received a phone call and glanced at the ID before picking up.  _“I got her,”_ a man’s voice said on the other end.

Kate’s grin smirked sadistically as she said, “Good. Bring her in.” She hung up and said, “If you’re not going to talk… maybe you will after you see who I brought in.”

My heart hammered in my chest as I realized what she had done. I could only hope that I was wrong, but I knew I wasn’t. I could smell it.

The steel door slid open with a heavy thud, and in walked a man, carrying a limp Sindy in his arms. “Brat put up an annoying fight,” he reported, throwing her against a fence that was across from me. She groaned from the pain, but otherwise didn’t stir.

A low growl erupted from my throat, seeing him treat her like a sack of potatoes.

“Ah, ah,  _ah_ ,” Kate taunted, turning to me. “Better watch that mouth of yours, Derek, or else your pretty little girlfriend’s gonna get it.”

My chest rumbled as the fire inside me burned with a passionate hatred for the woman that stood before me. She was  _so_ close. If I could break free from these chains, I would, and cut her throat out.

Sindy’s wrists and ankles were pinned, and I could smell her blood trickling. With my eyesight, I could see that the side of her head was cut open ever the slightest.

“Don’t touch her,” I growled.

“Too late for that,” the man grinned at me, before sliding his hand up Sindy’s leg. A ferocious roar escaped from my throat as I pulled against my restraints, seeing it trail up the dress she wore.

Pain spiked through me as Kate activated the electric shocks, but I continued struggled and roared at the man, sending the building shaking. The man immediately pulled his hand away, and stepped back.

Kate turned off the shocks and I panted heavily, reverting back to my human form. “My, my,” Kate said, stalking towards me. “What a protective one you are… Tell me, Derek. What’s so special about her? Is it because she’s pure? Untainted? A  _virgin_ ?”

A low growl passed my lips, making the woman chuckle sadistically. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t go  _that_ far.”

A small groan brought my attention away from Kate and I watched closely as Sindy stirred against her restraints. Her head moved, and she glanced up, blinking blankly, trying to clear her vision.

When she saw me, her eyes widened and she tugged on her restraints, finally feeling them. “Wh- D- Derek?” she looked at me, her eyes wide.

“Calm down,” I tried to coax her. “I’ll protect you.”

Kate laughed from where she stood, making Sindy snap her head towards her. “How can you do  _anything_ when you’re trapped like that? Just tell me, Derek, and the two of you can walk away, safe and sound.”

“I think that’s a moot point, now,” Sindy said sarcastically, referring to her restraints. “I have the worst headache of all time and I’m chained to a fence. I wouldn’t call it safe.”

Kate threw Sindy an annoyed look before walking over to her, looking up at her. Sindy spat in Kate’s face, making the light brunette woman let out an angry sound. She reached up and slapped Sindy’s face.

I growled, pulling against my chains.

Sindy, however, was undaunted and said, “Really? A slap in the face? That the best you got?”

I didn’t know if she was really brave or really stupid for standing up against Kate. Probably a little bit of both, but… I was proud of her.

“Shut up, you little bitch,” Kate warned. “Or you’re gonna get it.”

“I think that’s your title,” Sindy replied simply. “I mean, how bitchier can you get by kidnapping your ex-boyfriend who was a  _minor_ when you two were together, by the way,  _and_ his… uh… whatever I am to Derek.”

Kate balled her palm into a fist, and shoved it into Sindy’s gut, who grunted in pain. Maybe Sindy was more stupid than brave.

“I’m gonna pay you back when I’m out,” Sindy groaned.

Kate gave a smile to Sindy and said, “You can try, sweetheart,” before turning back to me. “Looks like you sure know how to pick them, Derek. At least you went for the little, younger, innocent one instead of the hot, older, sexy one. After all, you wouldn’t want history to repeat itself, would you?”

Then her face lightened up as she remembered, “History repeating itself… Jackson’s not the beta… No… it’s someone repeating history… Jackson’s not in love with Allison… Scott is.”

My face soured and Sindy’s mouth dropped, as Scott’s identity was revealed.

**STILES STILINSKI**

I was in heaven.

I was going to the Winter Formal with  _Lydia Martin_ . I fucking love Allison so much for this.

Scott, on the other hand, was completely tense, especially since Peter had approached Allison. And then, he threatened Scott with Allison.

Remember my life before my best friend became a werewolf and my twin sister got involved with a scary werewolf?

You don’t? Me either. It feels like I’ve been involved in all this wolf-teen-angst drama for years, when it’s only been about a month.

_Oh, shit._

My sister was gonna lose her virginity to a guy she’s only known for a month. Like, ewgh. She’s my sister, but, oh my God. She and Derek are pretty serious.

As serious as a non-committable, scared-of-a-relationship sourwolf-thing Derek could get.

I really hope my sister doesn’t get all caught up in this mess.

Lydia walked into the dressing room, with me carrying all her dresses. She pulled open an empty dressing room, and paused suddenly.

She bent down, picking something up from the ground.

“Stiles,” she said, addressing me by my name for the first time today.

“Yeah?” I asked, peering my head around.

She stood up, a confused look on her face. She held up a bag that looked  _too_ familiar to me. It was a bag I had given to Sindy for her birthday last year. “Why is Sindy’s bag on the ground?”

Oh shit.

I dropped the dresses and ran to where Scott was lurking.

“Scott!” I yelled, scaring some other shoppers. My best friend turned to me, bewildered at what I was panicking about.

I gripped Scott’s shoulders tightly and exclaimed, “Sindy’s missing!”


	19. Rescue

**FRIDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 18, 2011**

**STILES STILINSKI**

Three days.

Three agonizing, painful days since my twin sister was kidnapped.

After finding out about Sindy’s abduction, I had called my father right away, reporting what had happened. Within five minutes, he was at Macy’s, even though he was originally across town at the sheriff’s station.

Now, I’ve been hysterical multiple times, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this. I swallowed the lump in my throat, wondering if my sister was still even alive.

I finished tying my tie, tugging on it uncomfortably. The last time I had done this, Sindy had walked in, scolding me for making it so stiff before fixing it. She then would sit on the edge of my bed, and wait for me to finish getting myself together.

A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned, seeing my father standing at the entrance, leaning against the doorframe.

He took a look at me before saying, “You alright, bud?”

“Yeah,” I replied nervously. “It’s just… normally… Sindy’s here helping me.”

A sad look filled my dad’s features before he said, “We’ll find her, Stiles. Alive.” He had some of the best deputies searching for any clues on where Sindy could possibly be.

I nodded, grabbing my jacket. I gave my dad a farewell before leaving, heading to my jeep.

“It couldn’t be Peter,” I muttered to myself. “He was with Scott… but then again, he  _is_ a werewolf…”

I started the engine, still thinking out loud. “It only leaves the hunters. If the hunters took Derek, then they probably found out Sindy’s connection with him and took her. But… they have a code. And they only kill werewolves. There’s no way they’d kill Sindy… right…?”

A bile rose in my throat as I drove to Lydia’s house. Scott was determined to look for Derek, so if we found Derek, chances are high that we can find Sindy.

As I parked in front of Lydia’s house, I made a mental note to make whoever took Sindy pay. I’ll track them down if it’s the last thing I do, though I really hope it isn’t the last thing I do. I don’t wanna die a virgin…

**SINDY STILINSKI**

I grunted in pain for the umpteenth time. The chains shook as my body was roughened up, but I bit my lip, determined not to give Kate the satisfaction that she wanted.

Kate clicked her tongue in annoyance. “You’re quite the stubborn one, aren’t you?”

I spat the blood that was in my mouth at her face.

She frowned before wiping the liquid away. “You sure you’re not going to say anything else, Derek?” Kate taunted, gripping my cheeks tightly with a hand.

“Fuck off,” Derek growled.

She took a glance at him, her eyes sparkling in mischief. “Hm… that’s not what I recall coming from your lips a couple years ago…” She licked her lips.

Anger boiled in the pit of my stomach and I pulled against the chain-linked fence. “Get away from him, bitch.”

Kate made some  _tsk_ ing sounds before saying, “Unfortunately, I can’t do what I plan to right now. My brother is worried sick about me.” She stole a glance at me and said, “I wonder if your brother is, too. Maybe I should drop by and see him.”

“I swear to God, if you touch one hair on him–” I threatened, but was cut off by a sharp punch.

“Relax,” Kate laughed. “He’s cute, but not my type.” She grabbed her jacket, throwing it on her before saying, “Bye~”

**SCOTT MCCALL**  

Everything was falling apart.

It started off with the bite.

Then the hunters showing up.

And then Sindy gets kidnapped.

And now… now Allison knows.

I ran through the forest, the pain, the suffering, the agony I felt from this past month catching up to me.

My foot got caught on a loose root, and I tumbled to the ground, but I felt nothing. There was no pain, no physical pain at least. My wolf had healed itself.

Despite my entire body completely unscathed, I couldn’t move. I let out a cry of anger, of despair, I didn’t know, but everything was falling, and it wasn’t stopping.

**STILES STILINSKI**

Well, this was a strange turn of events.

I silently scowled as Peter sat in the passenger seat as we drove to God-knows-where. He just told me to keep driving. Who was I to argue?

And I had to keep listening, because I wanted to find my sister. And he made a good point about if I found Derek, I’d find Sindy. But really, did he  _have_ to practically maul and almost rip Lydia to pieces? He bit her too – multiple times.

“Don’t feel bad,” Peter said. “If she lives, she’ll become a werewolf. She’ll be incredibly powerful.”

“Yeah, and once a month, she’ll go out of her freaking mind and try to tear me apart,” I scowled, thinking about how Lydia was going to be from now on. I remember how out of control Scott was in the beginning. It was a handful to deal with Scott, but now I have to deal with _two_ of them?

“Well, actually, considering that she’s a woman… twice a month,” Peter pointed out.

A flash of Sindy on a particularly bad cycle flashed into my brain. I was walking on eggshells for those days around her.

I groaned inaudibly.  _Crap_ .

I pressed harder on the gas pedal, wanting to just save my sister and get the hell away from this psychopath.

We pulled into a public garage, and he instructed me to pull up next to a car before all but dragging me out of the door.

He pulled me to a car parked not too far away, and I asked, “Whose car is this?”

Peter pulled out a set of keys. “It belonged to my nurse.”

"What happened to your n- OH MY GOD!” I yelled, seeing the dead, lifeless eyes of Jennifer the Nurse staring right back at me. It was like digging up Laura’s grave all over again, except, thankfully, this time, her body was still in one piece. Still, the body did  _not_ look good though, and I had to swallow the bile that was in my throat so I wouldn’t throw up. I don’t think Peter would appreciate that. Maybe I’ll throw up on him later.

Peter pulled Jennifer’s arm away from a briefcase and handed it to me. I looked at the body in shock and Peter glanced at me before explaining, “I got better.”

_What a psychopath,_ I thought as he closed the trunk.

He took the case away from me before pulling out his phone. “Good luck getting a signal down here,” I told him. He handed me the phone, and I realized it was a device. “Oh, MiFi.”

He pulled out an Apple laptop. “And you’re a Mac guy. Does that go for all werewolves, or just a personal preference?”

Peter tossed me an annoyed look. “Turn it on. Get connected.”

“You know, you’re really killing the whole werewolf mystique thing here,” I mumbled, typing in the code. “Look, you still need Scott’s username and password, and I’m sorry, but I don’t know them,” I lied.

“You know both of them,” Peter said quickly.

“No, I don’t,” I retorted.

“Even if I couldn’t hear your heartbeat, I would still be able to tell that you’re lying.”

“Dude, I swear to God–” I started, but was cut off by him manhandling me, throwing me against the trunk. I let out a cry of pain as the sound echoed through the whole garage.

“I can be very persuasive, Stiles,” Peter threatened. “And remember, this is to find your sister. Your sister, who was abducted by Kate for  _three days_ . She burned down Derek’s house in one  _night_ . Do you want to find your sister before it’s too late?”

“Alright!” I yelled. “I’ll do it!” Peter released me, and I resumed my typing. “… What happens after you find Derek?” I asked.

“Don’t think, Stiles. Type!” Peter demanded.

“You’re gonna kill people, aren’t you?”

“Only the responsible ones.”

“Look, if I do this you have to promise to leave Scott and Sindy out of it,” I attempted to bargain.

“Do you know why wolves hunt in packs? It’s because their favorite prey are too large to be brought down by one wolf alone. I need Derek and Scott. I have no use for Sindy, but as long as she’s attached to Derek, she’s coming along.”

“Scott’s not gonna help you, and Sindy will persuade Derek,” I said.

“Oh, he will,” Peter smirked. “Because it’ll save Allison. And you will, because it will save Scott  _and_ Sindy. And Derek will help because it’s his  _family_ . His pack. A wolf doesn’t love anything more than his pack. Scott is your best friend, whom you know so well, you even have his username and password.”

I sighed heavily and continued typing. Peter deadpanned, “His user name is ‘Allison’?” Oh, that’s not the real kicker. Peter glanced at me in disbelief. “His password is also ‘Allison’?”

“Still want him in your pack?” I inquired.

**SINDY STILINSKI**

“How long are we gonna be stuck here?” I asked, feeling the grime and blood all over me. Oh man, was I probably a sight to behold.

Derek looked at me and said, “Only for a little while longer.”

I frowned in displeasure.

“If you stayed away from me like I warned you to, you wouldn’t be in this situation,” Derek said, tossing me an annoyed look. But I could see in his eyes a different emotion.

My frown deepened and my eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t blame you for this situation, Derek. The only one to blame is Kate.”

“And the reason Kate kidnapped you was because of me.”

“It might be true,” I relented. “But I don’t regret it.”

Derek looked at me with an unreadable expression in his eyes. I continued, “I don’t regret it because I love you. And  _don’t_ say that I’m sixteen and I don’t know what love is, okay? It’s when I can’t stop thinking about you, wondering where you are, if you’re hurt or if you’re safe. It’s when I’m willing to get kidnapped by a sociopathic ex-girlfriend and withstand any torture over and over again just for you. It’s when I hurt, because you’re hurting, too…”

I sniffled, my voice cracking at the last word. I hadn’t even realized I was crying.

It must hurt.

To lose everyone you love in one night, all because of one person who you thought you could trust. To think that you can’t trust anyone at all.

“Sindy,” Derek said quietly, his voice slightly ragged. “Trust me.”

“Always,” I said, looking up at him.

He took in a deep breath, before his eyes flashed an electric blue. He let out a howl that was so powerful, the walls shook, sending shivers down my spine.

His howl slowly quieted, before ultimately stopping. He looked at me and said, “We’ll be out soon.”

I nodded, having no doubt about it at all.

True to Derek’s word, the door was slowly slid open. But it wasn’t a hunter that entered.

“Scott!” I breathed out in thankfulness.

“Sindy!” Scott exclaimed, rushing over to me. “Are you okay?” He looked at me, examining me. “Who hurt you? Are you alright? You’re alright, right?”

“You’re sounding repetitive, Scott,” I scowled. “I’m fine. Get Derek.” I nudged him to my werewolf companion.

“Lemme get you out first,” Scott insisted.

I frowned. “Scott, you have a limited amount of time. The best thing would be for you to get Derek so the two of you can knock out whoever comes in and  _then_ get me.”

Scott frowned at me, not liking the idea of me chained up. I rolled my eyes and glared, telling him I wasn’t going to budge. Well, it’s not like I could, anyway.

Scott sighed before walking over to Derek, breaking the first handcuff. However, there was then a noise, and I frowned. “Hide!” I ordered.

Scott retreated in the shadows and both Derek and I closed our eyes, feigning unconsciousness.

“Ready to have some more fun?” the hunter asked, turning on a light that made Derek and I both open our eyes. “To be honest, my knuckles are kind of hurting, so I brought some help.” He pulled out a baseball bat. “Hm… maybe I should beat you and then get your little girlfriend. Seems like a tight little thing, doesn’t she?”

I scowled.

"Fiesty,” the hunter chuckled. “Well, I’m gonna warn ya,” he said, holding up the bat. “I used to play in college.”

Before he could strike, Derek’s free hand caught the bat. “I brought a little help, too,” Derek said, making the hunter turn quickly to the door, where Scott had materialized.

Taking advantage of the surprise, Derek gave a nice, clean punch to the hunter’s face, knocking him out.

**STILES STILINSKI**

My dad just _would **not**_ listen!

“Stiles, listen. Just go wait with your friends, alright?” Dad said, stopping and sighing at me in frustration.

“Dad, tell me. Look, you know it has something to do with Derek,” I insisted.

“What? But I thought you three said you barely knew him,” Dad stopped in his tracks, looking at us confused.

“Actually, Scott and I did, Sindy… well…” I looked off, realizing I was going to out my sister.  _God_ , she was going to kill me for this.

“What about Sindy, Stiles?” Dad interrogated me, looking at me sternly.

“She and Derek… might be… well… together,” I muttered the last part out. “And… well… we might know him a little better than that because of it.”

Dad gripped the back of my neck firmly, hissing out, “You  _do_ realize that I’m elected to this job, right?”

“And if I help you figure this out, you’ll be re-elected,  _and_ we’ll find Sindy. Am I right? Dad, come on.”

“You know what?” Dad relented. “That girl in there has got nothing to do with a six-year-old arson case.” He pointed in the general direction of the room Lydia was in.

“When did you decide it was definitely arson?” I persisted.

“When we got a key witness,” Dad admitted. “And, no, I’m not telling you who it is, but yeah. Yeah, we know it’s arson. And it was probably organized by a young woman.”

“What young woman?” I pushed.

“If I knew that, she’d be in jail,” Dad threw me an irritated look.

“Was she young then, or is she young now?” I asked.

“She’s probably in her late twenties,” my dad said before his phone began ringing. “Oh, I gotta grab this call.”

“You don’t know her name?” I asked.

“No, I don’t,” Dad threw me an annoyed look. “What is this? Twenty Questions? All we know is that she had a very distinctive… what do you call it? A pendant.”

I pulled my head back in confusion. “What the hell’s a pendant?’

“Stiles, do you go to school?!” Dad exclaimed. “A pendant! A pendant! It’s- it’s- it’s a necklace! Now, can I answer the phone?”

“Yes,” I relented, releasing my father.

“ _Thank you_ ,” Dad said before answering. “Stilinski,” he began to walk away before I could protest.

So if it was a woman, with a pendant, and it was said that Allison was given that weird necklace from her aunt, does that mean… it could be Kate Argent. No. Way.  _Kate Argent_  kidnapped my sister?! You’ve got to be kidding me. I gotta tell Dad.

But… URGH! HE LEFT! OH MY GOD MY SISTER’S LIFE WAS AT STAKE HERE!

**_DAD_ ** !!! UGH! I need to find Scott.

Fast.

I stormed away, walking down the corridors of the hospital that I knew so well, because of my sister. 

**SINDY STILINSKI**

“Scott, help me with this,” Derek said, gesturing to the other cuff while he took off the electric wires.

“No,” Scott said, helping me down from the fence. I hit the teen werewolf’s chest in retaliation. “No,” Scott said to me.

“ _What_ ?” Derek hissed.

“Not until you tell me how to stop Peter.”

Derek looked at Scott irritatingly. “You really wanna talk about this right now?”

“He’s going after Allison and her family. He’s going to kill them.”

“So, what?”

“So, tell me how to stop him.”

“You can’t!” Derek snapped. “Alright?! Now–” He shook his wrist that was stuck in the iron cuff. “I don’t know when Kate’s coming back, so just get me out of this right now! Get me out right now!”

“Promise you’ll help me.”

“You want me to risk my life for your girlfriend? Huh?” Derek glared at Scott. “For your stupid little teenage crush that means absolutely nothing? You’re not in love, Scott. You’re sixteen years old. You’re a child.”

I winced, unconsciously taking a step back. His words were directed towards Scott, but they hurt me just as much. I steeled my eyes, not wanting either one to see what I was feeling.

“Maybe you’re right,” Scott admitted softly. “But I know something you don’t. Peter said he didn’t know what he was doing when he killed your sister, right? He lied. Remember this?” He pulled out the agency report of the deer with the spiral, the spiral of revenge.

“This is what brought your sister back to Beacon Hills, right?”

“Where did you get that?” Derek demanded.

“My boss told me three months ago someone came into the clinic asking for a copy of this picture. Do you wanna know who it was? Peter’s nurse. They brought your sister here so that Peter could kill her and become the Alpha, and that’s why you’re going to help me.”

It was silent for a while and Scott turned around. “Just say you’ll help me, and I’ll help you unlock your other–” He was cut off by a large breaking sound and I whirled back to see Derek with his wrists free.

“I’ll help you,” the older Beta said.

We walked out of the area, and I could hear Derek gather his clothing behind us. Scott walked ahead of us, leading the way out.

The hairs on the back of my nape rose, as I felt Derek come up from behind me. He smelled of dirt and grime, so bad that I, with my human nose, could smell it, but also the scent that was Derek that I loved so much.

But then I remembered his words.

“Sindy–” he started, reaching for my wrist.

I pulled my hand away from him. “Don’t,” I said with conviction. “Please, just don’t. After all, I’m just a  _child_ , right?”

I moved to speed up, but was cut off by a sharp tug on my wrist. I moved to glare at Derek, but saw him looking down at me, his eyes a fiery green.

“ _Don’t_ classify yourself,” Derek said quietly, but powerfully. “Don’t classify yourself in the same category as everyone else.”

“But I  _am_ just like everyone else,” I muttered. “I’m just a regular, high school, teenaged girl who apparently thinks she’s in love.”

“You’re not like everyone else,” Derek said, pushing me up against the wall. He cradled my face gently, saying, “You’re a high school, teenaged girl who’s managed to squirm her way through these tough layers I’ve built.”

I looked up at him, his face pensive. “What are you trying to say?” I asked.

He leaned down, his lips ghosting over mine. “I love you,” he said so softly, I thought it was a figment of my imagination.

And then he kissed me.

My toes curled in my shoes, and I gripped his shoulders firmly. Derek’s left hand cradled my face while his right went to my neck, adjusting it so he could kiss me better.

One of my hands went from his shoulder to his chest, and I palmed it gently, eliciting a low rumble from him.

A stifled, uncomfortable cough snapped us out of our haze and I broke away to see Scott standing there, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

“That’s nice and all, but… we should get going,” he said.

I nodded my head and Derek stepped away to allow me some space. I skipped on ahead, flashing a smile to Scott before walking on ahead.

“Hey, hold on, hold on,” Derek said from behind Scott and I as we left the Hale house. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

“What do you mean?” Scott furrowed his brows in confusion.

“I don’t know. It’s… it’s kind of like it’s–”

“No,” Scott cut him off. “ _Don’t_ say ‘too easy.’ People say ‘too easy’ and  _bad_ things happen. What, do you think finding you was easy? Getting away from Allison’s dad? None of this has been easy.”

“Fine,” Derek relented. “You’re right.”

I moved to turn around, and all of a sudden was met with a searing pain in my chest. I let out a cry, falling to the ground.

“Sindy!” I heard, before my eyes rolled to the back of my head, and all went black.


	20. The End of the Beginning

**FRIDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 18, 2011**

**SCOTT MCCALL**

“Sindy!” I cried, seeing her stumble to the ground. The scent of her blood – fresh blood – filled the air and before I could react, an arrow whizzed through the air, hitting Derek in his left shoulder.

I glanced up, scanning the area, stopping at the image of two women, who weren’t standing far away. In fact, they were really close.

Oh man, Derek just  _had_ to bring it up, didn’t he?

Kate was putting away her gun, and gave a satisfactory smirk before turning to Allison, instructing her what to do.

My ex-girlfriend launched her arrow, and it pinned itself in Derek’s leg. He fell again, having just gotten back up from being hit in the shoulder.

“Scott, your eyes!” Derek warned, and all of a sudden, there was a bright flash, blinding me temporarily.

I felt myself being lifted, and Derek threw me against the trunk before pushing Sindy, who was knocked out against me. I went to move her in a more comfortable position, when I felt something warm and wet.

Oh God.

“Derek,” I called urgently. “Derek, she’s bleeding! She’s losing so much blood!”

Derek glanced back at me before looking down at the unconscious body of Sindy. He hoisted Sindy up on my shoulders, and the two of us stumbled away.

I held onto Sindy’s body tight, as Derek dragged us back to the Hale house. He pushed me ahead and ordered, “Scott, go!”

My eyes were still a little bit blurry, and I moved Sindy so she was behind me. “Allison, I can explain.”

“Stop lying,” Allison ordered. “For once, stop lying.”

“I was gonna tell you the truth at the formal. I was gonna tell you everything. Because everything that I said, everything that I did–” I moved to explain, moving away to take their attention off Sindy.

“Was to protect me,” Allison deadpanned.

“Yes,” I nodded.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Thank  _God_ !” Kate exclaimed. “Now, shoot him before I have to shoot myself.”

“Y- You said we were just gonna catch them,” Allison stuttered, turning to look at her aunt.

“We did that,” Kate explained. “Now, we’re gonna kill them.” She shot Derek without even blinking. “See? Not that hard.”

I looked at Derek’s limp body in surprise, backing away.

Allison’s face fell and Kate looked at her mockingly. “Oh, no. I know that look. That’s the ‘you’re gonna have to do it yourself’ look.”

Kate pointed a gun at me, and I heard Allison insisting, “Kate, Kate, what are you doing?” She pushed Allison away so that my ex-girlfriend was on the ground, right next to my best friend’s body. Despite my pounding heart, I could still hear Sindy’s heartbeat, it was slow, but it was steady. That was a good thing, right?

“I love those brown eyes,” Kate said as I turned to look at the barrel of the gun.

“Kate!” a voice called, making me turn. My blood ran cold as I saw Allison’s dad walking over to us, his own gun in his hand. “I know what you did. Put the gun down.”

“I did what I was told to do,” Kate said, still holding the gun at me, but looking at her brother.

“No one asked you to murder innocent people!” Chris yelled. “There were children in that house, ones who were human. Look at what you’re doing now. You’re holding a gun at a sixteen-year-old boy with no proof he spilled human blood. In fact, you’ve already spilt a  _human_ girl’s blood! We go by the code:  _Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent_ .”

“We hunt those who hunt us,” Allison whispered softly.

Kate moved to pull the trigger, but Chris moved, pointing the gun at his sister. “Put the gun down,” he ordered. He shot the gun, and a bullet hit the tree bark. “Before I put you down,” he warned.

Kate lowered her gun.

All of a sudden, she fell to the ground, the gun falling out of her hand. Sindy got onto her knees, panting heavily, before delivering a punch right in Kate’s face.

However, it must’ve taken a lot out of her, because she collapsed on the ground just as Kate got back on her feet, pointing her gun down at Sindy. My best friend simply panted out, “Toldja I’d get you for that torturing.”

“You’re one stubborn kid, aren’t you?” Kate asked, before shooting Sindy, making the young girl cry out.

“Put the gun down, Kate!” Chris roared, and was about to shoot, when the door inside the house suddenly moved. “Allison, get back.”

I stood up cautiously, backing away, as the door opened fully.

“What is it?” Allison asked.

“It’s the Alpha,” I explained, as I began to transform.

Peter jumped out of the house, circling us with a low growl. He took down Chris first, before going after Allison.

I felt a sharp tug behind me, and fell to the ground.

“Come on!” Kate roared. “Come on!” All of a sudden, Peter materialized right next to Kate. He grabbed her wrist, and Kate let out two gun shots before Peter broke her wrist.

He threw her into the house, and dragged her inside.

Allison ran after her, but I could hear everything that went on inside.

“She is beautiful, Kate,” I could hear Peter say. “She looks like you. Probably not as damaged… So I’m going to give you a chance to save her. Apologize… Say that you’re sorry for decimating my family, for leaving me burned and broken for  _six years_ . Say it… And I’ll let her live.”

“I’m sorry,” I heard Kate whisper, before I could hear the sound of Peter gouging out Kate’s throat.

“I don’t know about you, Allison, but that apology… didn’t sound very sincere.” I could feel his murderous intent and quickly transformed.

I felt Derek get up, too, fully transformed as well. He gave a glance at Sindy before nodding at me, and the two of us rushed inside the house.

“Run,” I ordered Allison, before charging right at Peter.

**STILES STILINSKI**

“Hey, hey, hey,” Jackson warned as I drove on the bumpy road to the Hale residence. “This isn’t exactly an all-terrain vehicle.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Did you pay for it?”

Jackson looked at me like I was stupid. “No.”

“Then shut up,” I replied, speeding up faster. I’m coming Sindy, Scott.

Within a minute, I was in front of the Hale residence, and I could see Peter and Scott duking it out. I honked the horn before rushing out and throwing a Molotov cocktail right at Peter.

He caught it easily and growled at me.

“Oh, damn,” I cursed, backing up.

“Allison!” Scott cried before throwing her a bow and arrow. She quickly launched the arrow, and the cocktail broke, setting Peter on fire.

Jackson quickly threw the other, and the werewolf was engulfed in flames, making him roar even more.

He suddenly was heading for a body on the ground, and Scott cried out, “No!” before rushing forward and kicking Peter away.

He scooped up the limp body and ran back to where I was, and my eyes widened at the beat up sight of my little sister.

“Sindy!” I cried, as Scott laid her body down in front of me. I dropped on all fours, shaking my sister. “Sindy!” I called. I heard a body drop, and vaguely registered Peter on the ground.

He got his just desserts.

Sindy let out a groan, and then coughed. I felt a drop of wet liquid hit my cheek, but paid no mind to it. I moved my thumb, going to wipe away the blood.

“Stiles…” she breathed out.

I gave a faint smile, my vision blurring. “Hey, Sindy. You give them hell?”

Sindy let out a small laugh. “You know it,” she grinned. I felt a hand reach for my own and she squeezed it weakly. “How’s Dad…?”

“He’ll be here soon,” I said, feeling my clothes dampen. “Oh God, what happened to you?”

“Kate shot her twice,” a deep voice said from behind me, and I saw Allison’s father standing there. “I’m sorry.”

All of a sudden, the air shifted, and I glanced up to see what was going on. “Wait!” I heard Scott yell. Now I really had to see.

I lifted Sindy up and moved, so I could see what was going on.

Derek was leaning over a burned Peter, glaring down at him in hate.

“You said the cure comes from the one who bit you,” Scott continued. “Derek, if you do this, I’m dead. Her father, her family – what am I supposed to do?”

Derek suddenly raised his arm, and slashed Peter’s throat. He glanced at us, his eyes flashing a bloody red. “I’m the Alpha now.”

He stalked over to us, and I backed away. Sindy, however, gripped me tight. I looked down at her, and she smiled softly at me. She coughed again. Derek stopped in front of me, and bent down, brushing a sweaty lock of hair away from Sindy’s face.

“Hey…” she rasped out.

“Don’t talk,” Derek ordered. He took her away from my arms and set her down on the ground gently. “The cops are coming soon.”

Sindy shook her head, her breaths coming out in heavy pants. “It’s… it’s a miracle I’m even still breathing,” she said. “I- I’m not gonna make it.”

“You’re gonna be fine, okay?” I interjected. “Dad’s coming with backup.”

“She’s right,” Allison’s dad spoke up, and Sindy coughed some more. “How she’s still conscious is a mystery, but she won’t make it past tonight.”

“There’s gotta be something done!” I snapped, looking up at him. “Isn’t there anything?!”

Allison’s dad looked at Derek. I looked at Derek. He continued looking down at Sindy. I saw him stroke her cheek and she leaned into his touch, before violently coughing up blood.

I gripped my hands tightly.

She only had two choices, then: live and become a werewolf, or die.

“Do it,” I urged, making Derek look up at me. “You can save her, can’t you?” He looked down at Sindy, and she smiled at him.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

Her smile grew wider and she replied, “Always.”

Derek let out a spine-chilling growl and then transformed. His eyes flashed a blood red before he bit down on Sindy’s shoulder. She let out a pained cry, gripping his arm tightly. Derek persisted, holding onto her hand, and she fell limp in his arms.

“Wh- what just happened?” I stuttered out, looking at my unconscious sister. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“She’s healing,” Derek explained, pulling his mouth away from her shoulder. “I can hear her heartbeat increasing.” He pulled away, before ripping her shirt.

Now, if I wasn’t sure about his intentions, I would’ve snapped at him, but I saw that he pulled away to reveal her bullet wounds and bruises she had received from Kate. They were slowly fading away, and I even saw bullets being pushed out of her system.

“Healing quite fast,” Chris pointed out, seeing the bullets fall to the ground.

“Because they weren’t fatal, minus the shots,” Derek explained. “The bullet holes will take a while to heal, but her bruises should be fine in a few more minutes.”

Her bruises faded to her normal cream-colored skin, and slowly, Sindy’s eyes peeled open. She groaned and tried to adjust her eyes.

“Why do I feel so nauseous?” she asked, looking around. “And cold?”

Derek pulled off his jacket, and threw it around Sindy’s body.

Sindy frowned and asked, “What is that god-awful sound?” she asked, looking around. She winced, and Derek helped her up.

“What sound?” I looked at her strangely.

“Police sirens,” the two male werewolves replied at the same time. I fell silent, and tried to listen. At first, I heard nothing, but then I could hear the sound of sirens  _very_ ,  _very_ faintly.

Oh crap, my sister was a werewolf now.

The sirens got louder and louder, before Dad’s car came up first. When he saw us, he quickly scrambled out of the car.

“Sindy!” he exclaimed, rushing over to us.

“Daddy!” Sindy cried back, and Derek and I helped Sindy over to Dad. Two deputies came out and moved to arrest Derek. The man didn’t resist, but Sindy sure did. “No!” she cried. “Stop it! He helped save me!”

The two deputies looked at Dad, who sighed before replying, “I’ll handle it.” They nodded and released Derek slowly, who didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around Sindy’s waist again.

Dad arched a brow at Derek and then looked at Sindy. Sindy furrowed her brows and then looked at me. “You told him,” she deadpanned.

I looked at her sheepishly. “I had no choice.”

“Come here,” Dad said, pulling Sindy into a hug. Sindy accepted the embrace, and Dad took in a deep breath. “Don’t you scare me like that again, alright?”

“I’m alright, Daddy,” Sindy said reassuringly. “I’m alright. Derek helped me. Derek and Scott.”

Dad pulled away from Sindy and looked at Derek before saying, “Thank you.”

The older werewolf pursed his lips before shaking his head. “There’s no need.” Sindy beamed up at the new Alpha and he simply squeezed her hip.

Dad cleared his throat uncomfortably. Good. Now I won’t be the only one. “I uh… would like to take you in for some questioning, but I think this is enough for one night. Do you think you can drop by tomorrow?”

Derek nodded curtly.

Dad looked at Sindy and said, “C’mon. I’ll give you two a ride home.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Derek cut in. “I’ll take Sindy home in a little bit.”

Dad looked like he was going to protest, but Sindy looked at him. “Dad,” she cut in. “Please? As you heard from Stiles,” she gave me a pointed look, “he’s kind of my… uh… boyfriend.”

Dad looked at Sindy and sighed heavily, muttering something under his breath before nodding. “Alright. Stiles, get in the car. Scott, you two. Let’s get you guys to the hospital.”

I looked at Scott and he cautiously and solemnly walked to Dad’s car with me. As I got in the passenger seat, I watched as through the mess of flashing red and blue lights, Sindy stood turned to Derek, throwing her arms around his neck.

She said something and smiled up at him. I watched as a flitter of a smile graced Derek’s features, before he leaned down, kissing my sister.

I groaned and closed my eyes, leaning back in my seat. This was going to take some getting used to.

**SINDY STILINSKI**

“I’m fine,” I persisted, fighting off the nurse who was fussing over me.

“Dear,” she insisted. “We’re just taking some precautions. Perhaps you should stay the night just in case.”

“Really, I’m fine,” I sighed. “I just have a few scratches. What I want is to go home, take a bath, and sleep in my bed that I haven’t slept in for three days… Is that alright?”

I gave her my best puppy pout, blinking with wide eyes.

“Sindy,” Melissa said sternly, entering the room. “Let her draw your blood and once we find that you’re alright, you can leave.”

I huffed, but relented, leaning back on the examination table. I might’ve worked at a hospital, but I didn’t like being a patient at one.

The nurse left, and Melissa walked over to me. I glanced at her for a few seconds, before she grabbed me, hugging me tightly. “You don’t know how worried I was,” she sighed.

I squeezed her back gently. “I’m fine, Melissa.”

Melissa pulled back, leaning in and giving me a small kiss on the forehead.

A few minutes later, I was given the okay to be discharged from a doctor, after getting some bandages wrapped around my bite wound, which they dubbed as a deep, but not too deep cut, I met up with my brother and Scott.

“How’s Lydia?” I inquired, knowing full well they snuck into her hospital room.

“How did you-” Stiles started but then remembered. “Right… werewolf hearing… that’ll… that’ll take some getting used to.”

“She’s not healing like I am,” Scott reported as Stiles started up his jeep. “She isn’t turning.”

I furrowed my brows. “But from what I heard, Peter bit her… multiple times.”

“Don’t remind me,” Stiles blanched, making a turn out of the hospital.

“What the hell is she then?” Scott asked. “I don’t think she’s human, but she’s not a werewolf either.”

I shrugged, leaning back. “Only time will tell, it seems. But for now… jeez… I need to just sleep for the next twenty hours.”

“Aren’t you hungry?” Stiles inquired, driving into a McDonald’s. “I figure you’d be.”

I frowned. “Now that you think about it… I could use something…” Just then, my stomach decided to growl.

Stiles shook his head and then proceeded to order six Big Macs and three large fries and three large drinks. Oh, bless my brother.

We were able to eat as he drove us home, dropping off Scott first. It was probably dangerous, but, whatever. Werewolf reflexes now and all that jazz.

I practically scarfed my food down my throat, not realizing how hungry I truly was. By the time Stiles pulled up to our driveway, I was finishing the last of my drink while he was barely starting on his second burger. But then again, he  _did_ have to drive.

I gave my brother a kiss on the cheek before skipping into my house, up the stairs, and into the restroom.

I showered quickly, glad to get rid of the grime, dirt, and sweat, before wrapping myself in a towel. I entered my room, and saw the window was open.

I sniffed the air, smelling a woodsy scent that I had grown to love and looked to the corner, to see Derek standing there, eyes glowing red.

“You’re taking all this rather well,” Derek pointed out, stepping into the moonlight.

“Well, I kind of sort of went through all this with Scott about a month back,” I replied, heading to my drawers.

“I meant about Kate,” Derek said.

I paused in my sorting and froze. To be honest, I was completely scared out of my mind. I didn’t know if I was going to live or if I was going to die. I didn’t know if I’d ever see my brother, father, or Scott ever again.

But for some odd reason, there was a feeling that overshadowed all that.

A feeling that I knew all too well.

“It was because you were there,” I explained. “I trust you to keep me safe.”

“Even when I’m all chained up?”

“Even when you’re all chained up,” I agreed.

I peered over my shoulder, and grinned coyly at Derek. A strange confidence filled through me and I boldly dropped my towel, eliciting a low, rumbling growl from him.

I smirked at him and moved to reaching for a pair of panties, when I felt a presence behind me.

I let out a gasp, before Derek gripped my hips tightly, and all but threw me on my bed.

I bounced a couple of times before Derek pinned me down to the bed, holding me by my wrists. He looked down at me, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

I looked up at him through my lashes. My heart sped up and I felt my body heat up as he glanced down at me, eyes trailing over my body, before trailing back up to my face.

He leaned down, and took my breath away. I returned his kiss with all I had, throwing my arms around his neck eagerly.

I hoisted my right leg up his hip and angled my head, making the kiss deeper. I felt his hand wrap around my calf, keeping my leg steady, before gently sliding it upwards before gripping firmly.

His lips surrounded my bottom one, and nibbled on it before sliding his tongue into my mouth. My head throbbed as the blood rushed through, and a low moan escaped from my lips. I threw my other leg over his hip and pulled him closer to me, a soft whimper falling out when he pressed his jean-clad self against me.

I went to move so I could be on top, but then a pain shot through me and I hissed venomously. Derek immediately pulled away, looking down at me.

I looked to the source of my pain, my shoulder/collarbone, and winced. The wound was bleeding, soaking the once-white bandages with a bright, thick red.

“Shit,” Derek cursed, sitting back up. He unwrapped my shoulder and looked at the wound. He touched it gently and said, “It’s healing. You’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

He helped me sit up and dressed my wound, before I went to get dressed in a simple tank and shorts.

I climbed into bed, and slid next to him, resting a hand and my head on his chest. He pulled me close to him, and leaned down to kiss my forehead.

“Derek?”

"Hm?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I know.”

“Shut up and go to sleep.”


	21. A New Chapter

**MONDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 21, 2011**

“I don’t wanna be here,” Stiles mumbled as we walked through the hallway.

I adjusted my bag so it wouldn’t fall off my shoulder. “You think I do?” I replied, going to my locker. “We’re almost done, though. Just one more class to go.”

I pulled out my chemistry book just as Scott appeared, sighing heavily. I rolled my eyes, not impressed. “Is this about Allison again?”

Scott looked at me and narrowed his eyes. “You need to lay off.”

I glared at Scott, my own eyes burning. “She shot you guys. She shot  _Derek_ . I don’t see how you can forgive her so easily.”

“She didn’t mean to,” Scott defended, but I scoffed at that. “Sindy, her aunt was a manipul-”

“I don’t wanna hear it,” I said firmly, feeling the rage go through me.

“Sindy,” Stiles said slowly. “You need to calm down. Scott, lay off her.”

“No!” Scott refused stubbornly. “Allison was just-”

Anything else he said was cut off abruptly when Stiles slung an arm around me, dragging me away before I could launch myself at Scott. He pulled me into an empty classroom and closed the door, locking it.

I struggled to find my breath properly and dropped my books, crouching over a desk. My pulse was racing, and it wasn’t in a good way. I could feel my fangs and nails elongating and struggled for the control.

_“Channel that anger, Sindy. Control it. Don’t let it control you,”_ Derek’s voice echoed inside my head.

_“I can’t,”_ I remembered myself saying. I remembered being bent over a table, breathing heavily from keeping my inner wolf in control.

I remembered feeling a presence behind me, saying roughly,  _“Yes. You. Can.”_

My head snapped up and I took deep, heavy breaths. My fangs were retracting, and I could feel my nails becoming less sharp, blunter, and more humane.

“Sindy…?” my brother’s voice came, making me snap out of my daze.

I blinked a couple of times, steadying out my vision. I stood up straighter and sighed heavily. “I’m good,” I reported. “I’m calm.”

Stiles looked at me wearily, but nodded slowly. He handed me my bag and chemistry book, before we left the classroom.

We entered the class just as the bell rang, making Mr. Harris look at us pointedly before we took our seats. I slipped into the seat next to Isaac, and Mr. Harris began his lecture.

“Hey,” Isaac said, turning to look at me. “If you, uh, don’t mind me asking… how are you feeling?”

I smiled pleasantly, turning to look at the boy, “I’m fine, thanks,” I said. I blinked when I noticed something and frowned deeply. “Hey, what happened to your eye…?”

Isaac’s eyes widened in shock and his hand unconsciously went to touch the bruise that was beneath it. “I… uh… lacrosse accident. You know how rough it is.” His heart was beating quickly, obviously under pressure.

I blinked a couple of times before nodding slowly. “Yeah,” I finally said. “Yeah. I know how bad it gets…” I turned back to the front, and frowned.

Isaac always had these weird bruises on his body, and he always blamed it on lacrosse practice or being clumsy. I’ve seen him walk. There wasn’t a clumsy bone in his body… And lacrosse practice? Yeah, people got hurt and there was the occasional sprain, but… Isaac wasn’t even on the field all too often.

I sat there for the rest of the period, thinking deeply.

I heard loud ringing and snapped out of my thoughts, realizing the school day was over with.

I stood up, gathering my books into my arms while Stiles walked over to me. Scott had already rushed off, no doubt to set up a time to meet up with Allison again.

“You need a ride?” Stiles offered, holding out his car keys.

“It’s fine,” I replied. “Derek’s picking me up. We’ve got some training to do.”

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Stiles inquired, swinging the door open. I was about to reply, when I heard a loud  _smack_ . Stiles looked at me with wide eyes and I ran around the door to see what or  _who_ Stiles had hit.

A blonde was on the floor, holding her nose in pain. She was a bit on the heavy side, but not too much, and I could see through her hands that she had some heavy acne going on.

I immediately realized who she was.

“Oh, God, Erica,” I said, bending down to look at her. “Are you okay?”

She looked at me, brown eyes wide in shock. “Y- You know who I am?” she asked, her voice slightly muffled because she was holding her nose.

I frowned. “Of course I do.” I held out my books to my brother, “Stiles, hold my stuff.” My brother took it without question and I helped Erica up. I helped brush the dirt off her clothes, and frowned when I could hear the people snickering.

“Er… sorry about that, Erica,” Stiles said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Your… uh… nose okay?”

She winced a bit when she rubbed it, but replied, “I- it looks to be alright. A- and it’s fine.”

“You sure?” I asked. I hadn’t heard a crack or smell blood, but still… Erica nodded.

_“Did you see that?!”_ I heard an enthusiastic voice laugh.

_“Yeah!!”_ another eagerly snickered.

I narrowed my eyes at the voices and told Stiles, “Put my books away? I’ll walk Erica to the nurse.”

“Sure thing,” Stiles nodded. “See you tonight.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, before Stiles walked off, leaving Erica with me.

“It’s really fine,” Erica insisted, her hand now off her nose. “I have to meet with my parents after school at the front.”

I shrugged and replied, “Well, I have to meet with my ride, too, so why don’t we walk out together?”

Erica looked at me wearily and asked, “Are you sure?”

I frowned. “I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.” Man, Derek was really rubbing off on me. Hm… rubbing off… if I concentrated, I could smell some of his scent lingering on me. I blushed at that thought. I cleared my throat and continued, “Why? Something wrong?”

“Well, you don’t want to be stapled with  _Epileptic Erica_ , do you?” She frowned at the name and I could hear her heartbeat slowing down in dissatisfaction.

I arched my brow. “Erica, being epileptic is not your choice. Just like Stiles’s ADD isn’t his. So, c’mon. Let’s walk out together.”

Erica smiled faintly at me and she and I walked down the hallway. I could hear the whispers. While I was nowhere near Lydia, Jackson or Danny’s status in terms of popularity, I was still well-known, being on the varsity cross country team and the medic for our lacrosse team.

Also, I was on pretty good terms with Danny, and decent terms with Jackson and Lydia, so as long as I wasn’t blacklisted by them, I was good. Erica, however… well, let’s just say she was at the butt end of lots of jokes. High school was so cruel.

We exited the building together, and by that time, I had gotten to learn that her father was an insurance adjuster and her mother was a housewife.

I leaned against the side of the building, telling her stories about what Scott, Stiles, and I got ourselves into sometimes, “-afterwards, Stiles and I got in  _huge_ trouble, but it was worth it, in my opinion.” Erica let out a laugh, and I grinned.

A ring snapped my attention away from Erica, and I gave her a quick, “Sorry,” before picking up. “Hello?”

_“I’m right outside the school. I’ll be there in a minute. Damn traffic,”_ Derek cursed. I understood that completely. Getting in and out of the school was a pain right before and right after school.

“Alright,” I said. “I’m outside in the front.” I then heard a familiar  _click_ and then a dial tone, signaling that Derek had hung up. I glanced up from where I was, and I could see a black Camaro in the streets, waiting to turn into the school.

I sighed, slipping my phone back into my bag. I turned to Erica and explained, “That was my boyfriend. He’s here.” I could see in my peripheral vision the Camaro pull in, and said, “It was nice talking to you, Erica. I’ll see you later.”

The blonde gave me a faint smile before I climbed into Derek’s car, closing the door behind me. As I buckled in, he peeled out of the school.

“Who was that?” he asked.

“Erica Reyes,” I replied, turning to look at him.

“Never seen her around before.”

“I think she’s mostly invisible to the student body unless something happens to her,” I frowned, leaning back in my seat. “She’s epileptic, so…” I trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

Derek nodded his head, just as the car slowed to a stop in front of a red light. I loosened my seat belt slightly, and leaned forward, reaching up to peck Derek’s scruffy cheek quickly.

The werewolf looked down at me, arching a brow in a silent question.

I leaned back in my seat, smiling up at him. “I didn’t kiss you hello,” I said simply.

Derek smirked, and turned back to the road, just as the light went green again. He sped ahead, driving down an unfamiliar road.

“Did you find a new place?” I asked curiously.

“Temporarily,” Derek replied. “It’ll have to do for now.”

I saw us enter the warehouse district, which was quite isolated from the rest of the town. Derek parked his car in a corner, away from the sight of everyone else, and I stepped out.

Before I could react, Derek was right in front of me. My eyes widened in shock just as I was pinned against the car.

Derek’s lips crashed down on mine, and I let out a soft groan involuntarily. I pulled my wrists free from his grasp and shot them through his hair, running through the rough, dark locks.

Derek’s hands trailed down my sides, before finding themselves placed on my hips. In a flash, he lifted me up, and I instinctively wrapped my legs around his hips, and he pushed against me, supporting me.

I let out a small whimper, before his tongue entered me, searching and dancing around in my mouth before tangling with mine.

I could feel my blood rushing, and my pulse throbbed against my skin almost painfully. My brows furrowed when I realized what was happening and I pulled back sharply.

I sucked in a deep breath, and I could feel Derek push his body against me. “Control it,” he urged. “Find your center.”

I fisted my hands, and I could feel my claws digging into my palms, drawing blood.

“Control it, Sindy,” Derek ordered. My eyes snapped open, and I saw Derek’s deep red pools staring down at me, completely focused on me and only me.

I inhaled sharply, and closed my eyes tightly once again. I could feel an animalistic urge to throw Derek against the car and have my way with him, but obviously, my head was telling me it wasn’t the best idea (no matter how appealing it seemed).

I threw my head back, and groaned, but not because of Derek. No. I didn’t want something to control me.  _I_ was in control. Not the wolf.  _Me_ .

My eyes snapped open, and I could feel my nails get blunter, and my blood stopped pulsing so powerfully.

I took in a shaky breath, and blinked a couple of times, before focusing on Derek. His eyes had reverted back to his regular green, and he looked down at me with an unreadable expression.

“I’m impressed by the amount of control you have,” he admitted. He released me, and I stood up straight on me feet. He cupped my left cheek with his right hand, and I leaned into his touch. “ _Very_ impressed.”

He bent down and gave me a short kiss. He pulled away before I could even return it, and he turned around, heading into one of the buildings.

“Oh, and Sindy?”

I looked at the back of his head. “Yeah?”

He turned around, eyes meeting mine. “ _That’s_ how a kiss hello should be.” I felt blood rush to my face, but this time in embarrassment. I pursed my lips and Derek turned around, continuing his walk.

Stupid sexy, Alpha werewolf of a boyfriend.

“Don’t forget, you’re my Beta, now,” Derek said casually over his shoulder. “I’m more in tune with your thoughts and feelings than ever before.”

I jogged after Derek, just as he pulled open a door and stepped inside it. I entered the area, and blinked at the large, nearly empty space that he called a temporary home. The entire place was made of concrete and steel, supported by steel beams. There was also a large rusting subway train car that took up most of the space, too.

“You know…” I said, looking around. “I know that this is only temporary, but… I could just leave the window open for you and you can sleep with me every night.”

Derek turned from what he was doing and raised an eyebrow at me.

My eyes widened in shock as I recalled what I just said. “I mean  _sleep_ sleep! As in rest! Not  _sleep with me_ ! Not that I’d complain if you did, I’m pretty sure it’d be just great! I – I mean –” I sighed heavily, and pounded my head against one of the steel beams. “It’s been a while since I made a fool of myself.”

“It has,” Derek agreed. “Kind of reminds me of when you said I was hot.”

I groaned in pain, remembering my awkward phase when I first met Derek. It was amazing just how a couple days as a werewolf could change your whole perspective as a human. Now, not only was I stronger and faster, but I was also more confident and graceful. Looking back, I was pretty weak and awkward when I first met Derek. But, I think since meeting him, my confidence had grown exceptionally high.

“You have,” Derek agreed, pushing something aside.

“That’s going to be really annoying,” I huffed, crossing my arms.

Derek didn’t say anything, but he did turn around. When he made eye contact with me, I saw his eyes were a blood red.  _Well_ , looks like training is about to start. I stood my ground, willing my inner wolf to come out. I could feel a passion flare inside me, burning me from the inside out, and my nails grew longer. A roar bubbled at my throat, so I released it. Derek released one back in return, and charged at me.

I jumped out of the way, somersaulting on the ground before hopping to my feet. I glanced around my surroundings before Derek charged at me again. This time, he was able to grab me and pin me down. I grunted in pain when my head banged against the floor, and moved my legs. I wrapped them around his legs and swiped them, making him fall back. He roared at me, making a move to swipe at me.

I dodged the attack, swinging my body around the beam to wrap myself around Derek. He hoisted me easily, throwing me off him. I landed with a heavy grunt, my body smacking against the concrete floor.

“You’re smaller than I am,” Derek growled. “Use it to your advantage. Your speed. Your speed is vital.”

I nodded and pushed myself off the ground. Before I could even find my center of gravity, Derek was running right towards me.

I don’t know how long we were sparring, but as I was moving towards Derek with my hand balled into a fist, I was suddenly distracted as a sharp, ear-piercing scream filled the air. Derek and I paused in our actions, heads snapping up.

I recognized that scream. “Lydia,” I said.

“Wait,” Derek ordered before I could gather my things. “Let Scott handle this. It’s already night time. We should look for new potential pack members.”

I froze, before turning to Derek, looking at him questioningly. “… Pack members…?”

Derek nodded curtly. “Werewolves are stronger in numbers, literally. We need to be prepared in case of a threat.”

“… You’re going to turn others into werewolves, too?” I inquired quietly.

Derek looked at me silently for a few beats longer before walking over to me. I suddenly felt very childish. Obviously Derek was going to create more werewolves. Packs were essential. I wasn’t going to be the only one with him forever.

I looked down at the ground, suddenly finding the ground really interesting.  _Oh, hey, I guess some rubble dug into the ground and made a heart-shaped scratch._

I felt a finger lift up my chin, and my eyes moved up Derek’s profile, before stopping at his face. Jeez, I never got over just how…  _sexy_ he was. The corner of his lips curled.  _Oh, right. In sync wavelengths. Crap._

“It’s so you can be safe,” Derek told me. “The more of us there are, the stronger I am. The more of us there are, the stronger you are. The more of us there are, the better I can protect you. It’s for us.”

I nodded. “I understand.” And I did. Derek would never leave me in any harm if he could help it.

“Now we need to find someone…” Derek said, releasing my chin. “You don’t happen to know anyone who’s spiritually weak and needs some power in his life, do you?”

Immediately, my mind flashed to my chemistry partner.

Derek saw the flicker of thought and pressed for an answer. “You do, don’t you?”

“Y- yeah,” I nodded. “There’s this guy… he’s my chemistry partner… Isaac Lahey...” I trailed off. I realized I wasn’t supplying Derek with much information and elaborated, “He’s on the lacrosse team, but I don’t think he’s ever played. He doesn’t get injuries at practice often, yet he has the worst bruises ever on his face and arms sometimes. I- I think… he’s being abused.”

I clenched my fists angrily. Nobody should ever face that. Not physically, and not emotionally either. What were his parents thinking? Isaac was a great guy.

“You’re most likely right,” Derek nodded. “Do you know his scent?”

I frowned, my nose wiggling in distaste as I remembered it. While in school, I didn’t focus on the different scents, as they all just blended together, but if I tried, I could isolate it out. And… Isaac… well…

“He smells of like… dirt and stone. And it’s not regular dirt and stone, either. Like… soil and stone that has a really dark surrounding, if that makes sense.”

Derek looked thoughtful for a second before saying, “A Lahey works as a gravekeeper here. He probably works for his dad.” All of a sudden, Derek took off his shirt.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed, my heart pounding rapidly at the sight of Derek all shirtless and sweaty. “Don’t do that to a girl so suddenly!” I slapped my hands over my eyes, but then… I couldn’t help it.

I opened a small gap between my fingers to peer through them, watching Derek walk away. His back muscles rippled and I wanted to lick the beads of sweat that were slowly trailing down his body.

“I can smell your arousal,” Derek said. “Now’s not the time, Sindy.”

I frowned, putting my hands back to my sides since it was pretty useless to just peek. I’ll just ogle at him directly. “Kind of funny how the guy in the relationship is denying sex.”

Derek threw on a new, clean black shirt and looked at me simply. His eyes flashed red for a split second. “I’m not denying it. Now’s just not the time. Later, I’ll have my way with you.” And because it was Derek, he was just  _telling_ me that.

I flushed. Something flew in my line of vision and I caught it before it made contact with my face. When I looked down, I noticed it was a shirt.

“… Do I want to know why you have a woman’s shirt?” I wasn’t even worried about the possibility that Derek could be cheating. He obviously wasn’t. I not only trusted Derek, but I knew him.

“Your spare clothes are in this bag,” Derek kicked a plain black duffel bag next to another one. “It’s in case your clothing gets ripped during practice. Right now, we don’t have time for you to go home and change, so just change here.”

I nodded, and simply just took off the current shirt I was wearing. Like I said before, my confidence had increased, and besides, it’s nice to tease Derek every now and then.

I felt a spark in the air, and heard a sharp intake of breath a few feet away from me. I slipped on the shirt before looking at Derek, who was deeply concentrated on his phone. “I can smell your arousal,” I mimicked.

Derek looked at me with a deadpan look before nudging his head towards the entrance. I followed him out the lair, and got into his Camaro. Derek started the car, and he took off, heading for Beacon Hills Cemetery.

Derek parked a bit away from the cemetery, so we had to walk, but it was fine. A little midnight stroll wouldn’t hurt anybody.

There was suddenly a crash, and I exchanged looks with Derek. He nodded and we sprinted, heading towards the direction of the sound.

When we arrived, it was part of the cemetery, and I could see something shuffling in one of the graves almost  _hungrily_ .

I could feel a roar bubbling in my throat again, and I released it the same time Derek did. Whatever the thing was, it took off into the darkness of the woods. I moved to pursue it, but Derek held out an arm.

“We don’t know what that thing was,” he told me. “We’ll figure it out later. Right now, we get Isaac.”

I nodded, and walked over to where the fallen backhoe was. No doubt  _that_ was the reason for the crash. Derek nodded, and I grabbed the sides of the car. I pulled it up, and it was kind of heavy, but not too much.

I could smell Isaac’s fear as I finished pulling the vehicle back up. When I was done, Derek walked forward, looking down the hole. “Need a hand?” he asked.

Just as I moved to stand next to Derek, Isaac’s body slumped to the ground in stunned silence. He saw me and he stuttered out, “S- Sindy?”

I smiled and kneeled down, extending a hand towards him. The hole wasn’t all that deep. Only about six feet, which was a typical grave depth. “I’ll explain once you’re out.”

Isaac looked at my hand warily. Slowly, he reached out, and placed his hand in mine. I easily helped him out of the grave, and he brushed the dirt off of him.

“What the hell is going on?” he demanded. “A- and did you two just…  _move_ that?” he pointed at the backhoe that I had placed upright.

“Actually, it was just me,” I raised my hand. “Derek just stood by and looked pretty.” My boyfriend tossed me an annoyed look. I beamed at him. Isaac looked at us, his heartbeat going crazy. “Whoa, there,” I said, furrowing my eyebrows. “Relax. You’re going to go into cardiac arrest with the speed your heart has to pump right now.”

“Wh- what’s going on?” he stuttered out.

Derek stepped forward, and Isaac instinctively took one back. He slowly began to explain about werewolves, and how he was seeking to create a pack. He stated that it was Isaac’s choice to choose to be a werewolf or not, but Derek promised him power and control, something which would be hard to deny.

At the appropriate times, I showed my fangs and claws for Isaac to see, and my eyes were probably burning a bright amber. When I blinked, I felt my blood settle and Isaac slumped to the ground.

“S- so… you’re a werewolf,” the lacrosse player looked at me.

“That’s right.”

“A- and you accepted his offer?”

“Actually, I didn’t really have a choice,” I mumbled.

“I turned her because she was dying,” Derek supplied. “It was the only way for her injuries to heal so she could live.”

“What he said,” I jutted my thumb to Derek. “After Kate the Crazy Bitch kidnapped me, Derek and I were able to escape, and I got shot… twice. Which sucked.” I unconsciously rubbed my chest, where Kate had shot me. Rot in hell.

Isaac nodded slowly.

“Do you want it, Isaac? Or do you not?”

Isaac’s eyes shifted from Derek, to me, to Derek, then back to me. Then he closed his eyes, no doubt imagining his life with the bite and then one without it. He then opened his brown eyes, and looked at Derek determinedly, “Yes.”

Derek nodded, and told Isaac to life up his shirt. The boy did as he was ordered, and I could see Derek’s eyes glow a blood red. He then bit Isaac’s side, and the teenager let out a cry of pain.

Derek released his bite, and stepped away. “You’re one of us, now, Isaac.” He looked at me, and nudged his head. “Let’s go.”

I nodded and turned to Isaac, who was breathing heavily and looking at his bite wound. “It’ll heal, don’t worry. I’ll see you at school!” Without waiting for a reply, I jogged after Derek.

When I fell into step with the broody werewolf, I asked, “So… how many more?”

“At least two,” Derek replied simply.

“Are we going to go now, too?”

“No,” Derek shook his head. “Right now, it’s time for you to go home.”

I frowned. “I thought…”

Derek arched a brow at me before pinning me to a nearby tree. He angled his head and I could feel his fangs brushing against the side of my neck. I shuddered in anticipating and he chuckled darkly.

“Don’t worry, my little squirrel,” he said. “All in due time.”


	22. Eyes

**WEDNESDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 23, 2011**

“She  _ate_ the liver?” Scott echoed in disbelief. Stiles was filling him in on what had occurred in the past two days since Lydia had gone missing. Stiles recently got his hands on Dad’s report on the grave-robbery that Derek and I had witnessed, but, honestly, what I saw wasn’t Lydia, for sure.

“No,” Stiles denied. “I didn’t say she ate it. I just said it was missing. And you know what? Even if she did, so what? It’s the most nutritious part of the body.”

I quirked an eyebrow at my older brother. Was he supporting human cannibalism or something?

“I never ate anyone’s liver,” Scott pointed out.

“Yeah, right,” Stiles rolled his caramel-colored eyes. “‘Cause when it comes to werewolves, you’re the real model of self-control. Sindy has more control than you.”

“That’s because she spends all her free time with Derek these days,” Scott huffed. He still didn’t like the idea that Derek was now an Alpha. I wonder how he’d react if he found out Derek was doing research on potential kids to turn… Better keep it quiet.

“Actually, wait – hold on,” Stiles stopped abruptly. “You’re the test case for this, so we should be going over what happened to you… and you,” Stiles added as an afterthought, looking at me.

“What do you mean?” Scott and I inquired.

“I mean, like what was going through your mind when you were turning? You know, like what were you drawn to?”

“Allison.” “Derek.” Scott and I replied at the same time.

“I’d peg Scott to answer Allison, but  _seriously_ ?” Stiles looked at me in disbelief. “Ever since you and Derek have solidified your…  _relationship_ , is that all you can think about? Actually, Stiles doesn’t need to know. Stiles is disturbed.”

“Sindy is disturbed, too, because Stiles talks about his desire to have fun. Many, many times, actually. Several times in a row, to be exact,” I quipped in response.

I rolled my eyes and continued my ascent up the stairs, heading to a classroom instead of the locker room, where I knew the two boys were headed, because they had morning practice.

I was going to head to the library, when I paused. Maybe I should go check up on Isaac.

I pivoted, heading to the lacrosse fields. A scent filled my nostrils, and my nose twitched. I recognized that scent.

Turning my head to the woods, I spotted a flash of black, and then a low growl. I angled my head to see if anyone saw me, and headed to the woods. As soon as I was out of everyone’s range of sight, I felt myself be pushed up against tree back roughly.

I snarled in response at the rough actions, but then it was silenced by a pair of lips slamming over my own. I pulled back, breathing heavily and commented, “Y’know, if you’re gonna stalk around the school like a creeper, at least try not to be so detectable.”

“I let myself be noticed by you,” Derek responded. “Now, shut up.” He pushed me even deeper into the bark, and I could feel it crack under the pressure slightly.

I returned his kiss fervently, running my hands through his hair. I angled my head to kiss him better, and I could feel his large hands gripping my hips tightly. A low growl escaped from my throat, and Derek returned it with one of his own.

When air became a necessity, we pulled apart, and I rested my head on his shoulder. I gave his neck a soft kiss, before leaning in closer to flutter my eyelashes.

Derek pulled back, looking at me with a strange look.

I frowned. “Should I not have done that?”

He simply shook his head and replied, “I forget how…  _cute_ you can be.” I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, frowning. Was I not cute on a daily basis? The corner of his lips twitched before he replied, “You’re all kinds of things on a daily basis,” he told me.

He placed me down on me feet and told me, “Go to the library like you planned. I’ll watch over Isaac.” I nodded, standing on my toes to give him another kiss. He returned it swiftly and I landed back on my heels before stepping out of the woods.

I made sure this time I was perfectly presentable. As I walked across the stands, I saw Danny standing there, a perfectly waxed eyebrow arched at me. He silently gestured towards the side of his head and I did the same with my own. I felt a piece of bark and pulled it out.

_“Thanks,”_ I mouthed, a small blush appearing on my cheeks. Danny chuckled, but nodded before turning to look at Jackson, who was joining him on the field. The lacrosse captain looked at me with an unreadable expression, and I stared right back at him.

He scowled before turning away, and I decided to stay and watch the practice. Practice went by without a hitch, and neither Jackson nor Isaac showed any signs of over-aggression, which was good.

As it was morning practice, I knew the guys weren’t going to shower, so I decided to just wait inside coach’s office. The worse I’d accidentally see would be a guy in his boxers, but I grew up with Scott and Stiles, so it was pretty null.

I pulled out a book, waiting for Scott and Stiles. I heard the door to the office open, and looked up to see Coach quirking an eyebrow at me. I could hear the loud pounding of the guys coming in to change.

“Stilinski,” Coach said, making me look up from my book. I looked up and he said, “Any news on the girl?”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “The girl?”

“What’s her name… Martin…”

“Lydia?” I supplied. “No… not that I’ve heard of.”

“Good,” Coach nodded, before opening the door to his office. “Let’s go! I have an announcement. Gather ‘round. Quicker! Danny, put a shirt on!”

I used the opportunity to make a beeline to my brother, taking a seat next to him. I debated ignoring Scott’s presence, but… well, I couldn’t do it. He  _was_ my best friend, after all. I gave a greeting to Scott, and I could see him smile back.

“- don’t know about you, but the last time it was that cold and I was running around naked, I lost a testicle to exposure.”  _Ew_ . TMI, Coach. “Now, I don’t want the same thing happening to some innocent girl. So the police are organizing search parties for tonight. Sign up, find the missing girl, you get an automatic  _A_ in my class.”

Stiles hit my shoulder roughly, and I scowled at him. He pulled me up in his haste and all but dragged me to where Jackson was standing.

“So, about Lydia–” my brother started.

Jackson sighed, leaning against the wall and said, “If Lydia wants to take a naked hike in the woods, why should I care?”

“Because we have a pretty good idea that she might be…” Scott hesitated, looking at Stiles and me before supplying, “you know… turning.”

Jackson looked at Scott blankly. “… Turning?”

“Yeah,” Scott nodded. “Turning.” First off, why wasn’t Jackson aware of this. He had the bite. Was he not turning himself?

“Into…?” Jackson tried fishing.

My brother looked at Jackson like he was stupid. “A unicorn,” Stiles supplied. “What do you think, dumbass?”

Jackson gave a not-so-nice look to my brother. “Well, I think that if Lydia’s turning, she’s not the one that’s gonna need help.”

“What do you mean?” I inquired, my two male companions looked confused.

Jackson sighed. “You’ve got it all backwards. When I was with Lydia, you should have seen the scratch marks she left on me. What do you think she’s gonna do with a set of  _real_ laws?” He scoffed and walked away, bumping shoulders with my brother and Scott rudely.

“How wude,” I supplied in a tone that resembled Jar-Jar Binks. Stiles and Scott looked at me. “Sorry,” I grinned. “Watched  _Star Wars_ last night.”

Stiles’s jaw dropped. “ _Dude_ !” he exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me?! We could’ve had movie night!”

I frowned. “I fell asleep half way through,” I admitted. “And besides, it was only  _Phantom Menace_ .”

Stiles rolled his eyes and said, “Next time you watch  _Star Wars_ ,  **tell me** .”

“I will, I will,” I replied. “Now hurry up and change. We have to go to chemistry.” I spotted someone from the corner of my eye and adjusted the bag that was on my shoulder and said, “Actually, I’ll meet you guys there.”

“Alright,” Stiles and Scott chorused before I walked out of the room.

I walked a bit briskly before I ended up next to the tall lacrosse player. “How are you feeling?” I asked.

Isaac looked down at me and replied, “Tired. I thought this was supposed to kick in?”

I frowned and said, “Well, it healed me instantly because I was dying, so… I guess since your life’s not in any danger, it’s gonna take a day or two…?”

Isaac nodded his head and we entered Mr. Harris’s class, taking our seats casually. A few minutes later, Stiles and Scott walked into the class and I could see my brother tapping his pencil almost restlessly since he sat in front of me.

“Pop quiz,” Mr. Harris announced after the bell rang. Groans emitted from the class, but the man paid no mind, passing us each a piece of paper.

I looked down at my paper.  _Ugh_ . This wasn’t a  _quiz_ . It was a  _test_ . Teachers need to learn the difference between a quiz and a test…

I wrote my name, and began to work. Huh. This actually wasn’t bad. Easily a boost to my grade, especially since I had Derek helping my out with my homework.

I could hear my brother shifting, though, and could hear him whisper, “Alright, it’s causing me severe mental anguish to say this, but he’s right.”

Thinking back, yeah… Jackson was pretty right. A loose werewolf was rough. Derek told me they had no idea what they were doing and viewed everything as a threat, causing them to be incredibly dangerous to those around them that weren’t of their kind, AKA human.

“I know,” Scott groaned.

“What if the next body part she steals is from someone who’s still alive?”

“This is a  _pop quiz_ , Mr. Stilinski,” Mr. Harris called. “If I hear your voice again, I may be tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career.”

“Can you do that?” my brother asked. I wanted to slap my forehead. Just  _stop_ , Stiles!

“Well, there it is again,” Mr. Harris said. “Your voice. Triggering the only impulse I’ve ever had to strike a student repeatedly and violently.” Okay, Mr. Harris was far from my favorite teacher, but I did enjoy his bluntness sometimes… when it wasn’t directed towards me. “I’ll see you at 3:00 for detention.”

Well, I was calling Derek for a ride after school today.

I frowned when I smelled something strange. I focused on where it was coming from, and I could hear it coming from behind me, where Jackson and Danny were.

“Dude, your nose,” I heard Danny whisper. “You okay?”

“Mr. Harris?” I asked, raising my hand.

Mr. Harris looked at me and sighed. “Would you like to join your brother in detention?”

“I live with him, it’s fine,” I replied. “Actually, I was wondering if I could go to the restroom? I’m done with a my quiz.” I held up the small packet.

Stiles made incoherent sputtering noises.  _“How?”_ he mouthed.

I grinned.  _“Derek,”_ I replied. My brother rolled his eyes and slumped in his seat.

“Very well,” Mr. Harris nodded. “Turn in your quiz and you can leave.” I nodded, walking briskly to the front, handing in my “quiz.”

I stepped outside of the classroom and pulled out my cell phone, just as Jackson stormed out of the classroom, holding his nose and mouth.

Derek picked up on the first ring and before he could ask, I said, “Something’s wrong with Jackson. I’m going to follow him.”

_“Be careful,”_ Derek replied, before I heard a dial tone. I followed the trail Jackson left, looking down at the ground. It was black blood… why was Jackson bleeding? The only time I’ve seen black blood was when something was invading Derek’s body and it fought back to heal itself.

I entered the boys’ restroom, thankful that it was empty except for Jackson, who I could hear breathing heavily.

I felt the air shift and the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. I whirled around to see Derek standing there, hands in his pockets. I jutted my thumb to the stall Jackson was in.

Derek nodded and walked forward, knocking on the stall.

“I’m fine, Danny,” Jackson heaved out. “Just go back to class.”

Derek rolled his eyes and knocked again, this time a bit harder.

“Just give me a second, okay?” Jackson replied. I could smell the black blood mixing with the toilet water.

Derek shook the door, intent on breaking it down.

“I said give me a freakin’ second!” Jackson snapped.

Derek took a deep breath, irritation in his eyes before he closed his eyes. He was suddenly calm and collected, and broke open the stall, reaching inside to pull Jackson out.

Jackson let out deep breaths and realized it wasn’t his best friend. “Derek.”

“You’re looking a little pale there, Jackson,” Derek commented casually. “You feeling okay?” He brushed some dirt away from Jackson’s shirt, and the boy pulled away, his heart pounding heavily as he looked at the Alpha.

“Never better,” Jackson replied.

Derek stalked around Jackson. “If something’s wrong, I need to know. You can’t always expect Sindy around all the time to report it.”

Jackson’s eyes flew to where I stood, next to the door. I had locked it so no one would enter. I don’t think Derek would appreciate that… His eyes turned back to Derek, and his heart continued to pound.

“You’re with me now,” Derek replied. “Just like Sindy is.”

“Wait – with you? Me… with- with you?” he chuckled at the thought. “What am I, your little pet? I mean, just because you gave me ‘the bite’ doesn’t mean I’m part of your little wolf pack. Sindy might follow your every order, but, to be honest, you don’t exactly show outstanding leadership qualities.”

I snarled at Jackson. My eyes caught my reflection, and I could see they were glowing amber. I subdued my inner wolf, and took a deep breath. Derek smirked and asked, “Is that so?”

“Look,” Jackson huffed. “I’ve got my own agenda. Which doesn’t involve running around the woods at night, howling at the moon with you, McCall, and Sindy, okay? So why don’t you just back the fu–”

All of a sudden, Derek’s hand shot out and moved Jackson’s head to the side to inspect something. My eyes widened when I saw black blood trailing out of Jackson’s ear.

“What is it?” Jackson demanded shakily. “What’s happening?”

I watched as Derek’s face morphed into confusion and he said, “Your body’s fighting the bite.”

“Why?” Jackson demanded.

Derek took a few steps of caution around Jackson, observing him. “I don’t know.”

“What does it mean?” Jackson pushed. I could see the troubled look and Derek’s face, and stood up in attention. “What does it mean?!”

I grabbed Derek’s hand just as Jackson turned back to the mirror. I pulled him out of the restroom and Derek stood there, stunned.

“… Derek…?” I asked cautiously. No response. “Derek?” I placed a hand on his shoulder slowly, careful not to scare him.

All of a sudden, Derek snapped at attention and began to storm away. “Derek!” I cried, jogging after him. “Derek, wait!”

I followed him out into the woods. I was never so thankful that I was in cross country and a werewolf now. “Derek!” I called again.

Abruptly, he stopped, and I almost came crashing into his back.

“There was a girl…” Derek said, not turning around to look at me. “Before Kate. A year before.”

I stayed quiet, letting him take his time.

“She was my first girlfriend,” Derek replied. “I was cocky, being the star of the basketball team. She didn’t take any of my crap. I – I loved her,” he admitted.

My heart clenched when I heard that, but I knew this was in the past.

“She didn’t know,” Derek told me. “Not like you. I – I was afraid that she’d hate me for who I was, so I asked a passing Alpha to bite her… I knew my mother wouldn’t, and he did.

“However, her body began to reject the bite. She was in pain. She asked me to stop it, to end it.”

My hands fisted tightly. I knew where this was heading…

“You remember how I said blue eyes meant taking an innocent life?” Derek inquired. I nodded. It was one of the first lessons I learned. I didn’t ask Derek at the time why his eyes used to be blue. I trusted that he’d tell me someday, and I guess that day was today. “Well, I did. I ended her life that night. And my eyes changed.”

I walked forward, taking quiet steps. Despite them being inaudible to the human ear, I could hear my feet shuffle against the grass and leaves, over the dirt. Before I stopped right behind Derek. I reached forward, my left hand going for his right. I could feel his flinch when I slipped my hand into his. At first, he moved to pull away, but I held on tight. A second passed, before he clenched it tightly.

I moved so I could stand in front of him. His head was down, and his eyes were shut. With my free hand, I reached up and cradled his face, much like he did to me often. His eyes opened, and the blood red stared back at me. I ran my thumb against his stubble and looked at him.

“Green… yellow… blue… red…” I listed Derek’s eyes colors. I’ve seen three of the four. “It doesn’t matter what color they are. To me, they’re beautiful, just like everything about you.”

He looked at me, resting his forehead against mine. “That’s what my mother said…”

I smiled softly. “She was a smart woman.”

“She would’ve loved you.”

“I probably would have, too, since she raised such a wonderful guy,” I quipped. The corner of Derek’s lips twitched, and he leaned down, kissing me softly.

This was much different than our regular kisses. This was more of a confirmation. A confirmation that all of this was real. Our relationship, our lives. Whether I liked it or not (and I definitely liked it), I was in it with Derek for the rest of my life.

I pulled back, and our lips made a little  _smooch_ sound. I giggled, realizing where the onomatopoeia came from now. “Hey,” I said, standing on my toes and wrapping my arms around his neck.

Derek’s hands wrapped around my waist, holding me close to him. “Hm?”

“I was wondering… you know how… uh… wolves…”

“Mate?” Derek supplied.

I nodded, some heat rising up to my face. “Do… do werewolves…?”

“They do,” Derek nodded his head. “And just like wolves, werewolves mate for life.”

“… Oh…” I said lamely. I really didn’t know what else to say. “D- did you… wi- with her…?”

Derek shook his head. “No. I loved Paige, but…” he sighed and almost looked troubled. Well, Derek was never the best at speaking his feelings. “But… it’s not like with you,” he admitted.

My heart fluttered in response, and a smile flitted onto my face. “So… I’m potential mate material?” I teased, while hoping it was true at the same time.

Derek leaned down, nuzzling the side of my head. He nipped my ear before stating, “You  _are_ mate material. And you will be mine officially someday.”

I blinked. “That’s a lame proposal,” I deadpanned. My eyes widened in shock when I realized what I had blurted to Derek. Oh  _God_ ! If it was anyway to send a guy running, it was talking about a forever-commitment! Especially when we’ve only been officially together for about a week!

Derek pulled back and quirked an eyebrow at me. “I’m not proposing anything. It’s a statement of truth.”

For the rest of the day, Derek and I spent our time wandering through the woods. He was careful to avoid any of the traps the Argents sent, and gave me a stern warning to not enter them alone unless he allowed it.

What an overprotective Alpha Derek was.

The sun began to settle, and soon, it was dark, with fog surrounding the area, keeping us well-hidden in the shadows and best of all, alone.

Kisses were stolen every once in a while, but I just enjoyed walking with my hand clasped in Derek’s, and us talking. Well, mostly, it was me talking and Derek pitching in every once in a while, but hey. It was nice.

All of a sudden, Derek stopped and I broke off mid-sentence.

"You hear that?” he asked quietly.

I focused my hearing, trying to pinpoint what he was referring to. I could hear snarling and shuffling, but it wasn’t from random animals. No… this was…

“It’s Scott,” I realized, just as I heard him shout, “WAIT!” to someone… or something.

Derek and I released each other’s hands and we got down on all fours, running off into the direction of Scott’s voice. I could hear him pursuing someone, and sped up, a few steps behind Derek.

We arrived just in time to see someone get caught in one of Argent’s traps. Derek ran to Scott, grabbing him tightly and throwing him to the side. I skidded to a stop, and Derek held a finger to his mouth, signaling for me to be quiet before dragging my best friend.

“What are you doing?” Scott demanded. “I can help him!”

“They’re already here,” Derek quietly reprimanded.

“I can help him!”

“Quiet!” Derek snapped.

I watched as Chris Argent came out of the woods, with a group of hunters behind him. His eyes were completely focused on the flailing and snarling werewolf.

He whipped out a baton, and I could hear the electricity run. He jammed it into the werewolf, who let out cries of pain, reverting back to his human form. “Who are you?” Chris demanded. “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing,” the werewolf replied, heart racing. “Nothing, I swear.”

“You’re not from here, are you?” he asked. When he didn’t receive an answer, he shouted, “ _Are you_ ?!”

“No,” the werewolf gulped. “I came – I came looking for the Alpha. I heard he was here. That’s all. Look, I- I didn’t do anything. I didn’t hurt anyone. No one living... He wasn’t alive in the ambulance… He wasn’t, I swear.”

“Gentlemen!” the old man beside Chris called. “Take a look at a rare sight. You wanna tell them what we’ve caught?”

“An Omega.”

“The lone wolf!” the man cried. “Possibly kicked out of his own pack. Or a survivor of a pack that was hunted down… maybe even murdered. And possibly… alone by his own choice… Certainly not a wise choice.”

Carefully, still keeping an arm around Scott to keep him from doing something stupid, Derek reached for me. “Don’t look,” he said, moving my face to dig into his chest.

Though I couldn’t see anything, I could still hear everything perfectly. I could hear the old man continue, pulling out something that resembled a blade, “Because, as I am about to demonstrate… an Omega rarely survives… on his own.”

I clenched my eyes tightly and felt Derek’s grip tighten around my head protectively as I heard the blade cut through flesh. I could hear the sound of something falling to the floor with a heavy thump, and the raw, metal smell of blood filled my nostrils.

“Look,” I heard Derek tell Scott. “Look. Look at them! You see what they do?  _This_ is why you need me. Why we need each other. The only way to fight them is together.”

“What are they doing?” Scott asked shakily.

“Declaring war.”

“We have a code,” I heard Chris say.

“Not when they murder my daughter,” I heard the old man’s cold voice say before he stabbed his weapon into the ground. “No code. Not anymore. From now on, these things are just bodies waiting to be cut in half. Are you listening? Because I don’t care if they’re wounded and weak… or seemingly harmless – begging for their life with the promise that they will never, ever hurt anyone. Or some desperate, lost soul with no idea what they’re getting into. We find them. We kill them. We kill them  _all_ .”

We waited for the hunters to leave, before Derek released Scott. He still kept a tight grip on me, not wanting me to see the sight, but I could smell it. I could  _hear_ the blood dripping.

“Go home, Scott,” Derek ordered. “And rethink everything.”

“… Sindy…?” I heard Scott inquire softly. “Are you okay?”

I snuggled into Derek’s chest even more, wanting to just relish in his warmth. Derek’s other hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me against him. “I’ll take care of her,” Derek said. “You go.”

I could feel Scott’s hesitation, but Scott touched my back gently, before running off.

Derek pulled my face away from his chest, and the smell hit me even more than before. I wanted to throw up, but forced it down.

“Hey,” Derek held my head gently. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’ll protect you.”

I nodded, not because it was just something he needed to see.

I nodded, because the look in his eyes told me he’d never let anything happen to me.


	23. Arrest

**THURSDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 24, 2011**

“ _Ah_ !” I cried out, throwing my head back. I could feel the feeling build in the pit of my stomach.

Derek grunted from below, his fingers working a frenzy as I gripped the sheets in his makeshift bed tightly.

“D- Derek!” I cried out, feeling his lips wrap around my clit, licking and sucking on it roughly.

He growled, his pace speeding up. “Come for me, Sindy,” he ordered. “Come for me,  _now_ .”

The feeling exploded and I cried out, my voice echoing against the walls as I fell from my high. Derek lapped at my juices, and I shuddered as he touched my sensitive spot.

Once I was clean, he kissed his way up my body, making sure to pay special attention to my breasts, before giving me a peck on my lips. I groaned and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him down and having his body flush against mine.

He slipped his tongue in my mouth, and I could taste myself mix with his own taste, something I had acquired when I was on my knees in-between his legs earlier.

I could feel him hardening against my lower stomach and groaned.

All of a sudden, he pulled away, and I frowned. “Wha-” I started, but was interrupted by the door to the lair opening.

Quickly, Derek and I hopped out of the bed and dressed, as I heard Isaac’s heavy breathing and pounding heart.

“Derek?!” he cried, running down the stairs. “ **Derek** !”

I fixed my hair quickly and got to the subway car to join Derek just as Isaac entered.

Derek was the epitome of cool as he asked, “What’s wrong?” to the new Beta.

“My dad,” Isaac reported shakily. “I think he’s dead.”

Derek’s eyes glowed red and I could see the troubled look on his face, before he stepped into the light so Isaac could get a better look. “What did you do?” Derek demanded.

“That’s the thing,” Isaac shook his head. “It wasn’t me.”

I furrowed my brows, stepping off the subway car as Derek extracted the story from Isaac.

I walked to the makeshift kitchen (which really just consisted of a fridge and microwave) and decided to heat some milk. I took out the warm cup, and walked back into the subway car, handing the drink to Isaac to help calm his nerves.

“Th- thanks,” Isaac said, taking the drink. He sipped it slowly. “Now what do I do…?”

“Leave it to me,” Derek replied. “For now, just go home, grab some clothes, and come back here. I’ll have some blankets for you.”

Isaac nodded and stood up shakily, before finishing the rest of his cup. “Thanks,” he told me, handing me back the cup.

“It’s no problem,” I smiled.

The Beta gave me a wary smile, before walking back up the stairs. I turned to Derek and asked, “Any ideas?”

Derek shook his head. “None.”

**MONDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 28, 2011**

“I’m serious,” Scott sighed. “It’s not like the last full moon. I don’t feel the same.”

“Oh,” Stiles realized. “Does that include the urge to maim and kill people like me?” We entered the locker room, and I was glad all the guys were already dressed.

“I swear, I don’t have the urge to maim and kill you,” Scott replied. “And what about Sindy? She’s newer than I am?”

I blinked when the two boys turned to me. “I feel fine, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know,” Stiles said, “you say that now but then the full moon goes up and out come the fangs and the claws and there’s a lot of howling and screaming and running everywhere, okay? And it’s very stressful on me and so, yes, I’m still locking you up. I don’t know what to do with Sindy, though.”

“Derek’s gonna take care of me,” I supplied. The two boys gave me a sour look.

“Okay, fine,” Scott relented. “But I do think I’m in more control, now. Especially since things are good with Allison.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay,” Stiles sighed. “I’m aware of how good things are with Allison.”

“They’re really good,” Scott sighed.  _Kill me._

“I – thank you,” Stiles said sarcastically. “I know.”

“I mean, like,  _really_ good.”

“Alright, I get it!” Stiles exclaimed. “Just please shut the hell up before I have the urge to maim and kill myself.”

“Same,” I muttered out sourly.

“Alright, fine,” Scott sighed. “Did you get something better than handcuffs this time?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Much better.” He opened his locker, and I watched as a  _really_ long chain come falling out, piling at his feet. The chains went on for a good minute or so, and I sighed, shaking my head.

The locker room fell silent.

“… Part of me wants to ask,” Coach said, looking at the chains. “The other part says  _knowing_ will be more disturbing than anything I could ever imagine. So… I’m gonna walk away.”

“That’s good,” Stiles complimented. “That’s a wise choice, Coach.” I bent down to help Stiles and Scott pick up the chains, when Scott suddenly looked up strangely, like he was looking for something.

“You okay?” Stiles inquired. “Scott?”

“There’s another,” Scott warned in a hushed tone.

I furrowed my brows. “Another what?” I asked the same time as my brother.

“Another werewolf,” he replied.  _Oh_ ... right. He didn’t know about Isaac.

I stood up, telling the boys, “I’ll meet you guys outside, okay?” I looked down at the chains and said, “Uh… good luck with that.”

“Yeah,” the two replied.

I began to walk away, pulling out my phone, typing a quick text.

**Sindy Stilinski:** **_Try not to create TOO much trouble._ **

I could hear Isaac’s phone chime with a text and he smirked as I walked by. My phone then chimed and I looked down at it:

**Isaac Lahey: _Gotcha._**

“Okay, so, it was kind of like a scent, but I couldn’t tell who it was,” Scott said, approaching me with Stiles a few minutes later. I was sitting on the stands, ready to watch lacrosse practice. “You didn’t smell it?”

“Uh… no,” I decided to go with the half-truth. I didn’t smell it because I already  _knew_ Isaac was a werewolf and had completely his transition successfully. Jackson on the other hand…

“Any idea who it was?” Stiles inquired.

“No,” Scott shook his head. “I couldn’t tell who it was?”

“What if you can get him one-on-one?” Stiles inquired. “Would that help?”

Scott nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay,” Stiles patted Scott’s shoulder. “I think I got an idea.” And he took off, running to Coach.

Scott looked at me with a curious expression and I shrugged. My brother was a weird one sometimes. He came running back a few seconds later, holding the goalie’s net.

“I told Coach you’re switching with Danny for the day,” Stiles reported.

“But I hate playing goal,” Scott pointed out.

“Remember when I said I had an idea?” Stiles asked. Scott nodded. “This is the idea.”

“Oh.”

“ _There_ we go,” Stiles smiled.

“… What’s the idea?” Scott inquired. I slammed my forehead. Oh my God, was my best friend stupid or something?

Stiles looked at his best friend with a deadpan gaze. “I seriously don’t understand how you survive without me sometimes.”

Coach blew his whistle and called everyone to the line. I grabbed Isaac on the shoulder and said quietly, “Seriously. Keep it in check.”

“I know,” Isaac replied, before putting his mask on.

I watched as Scott abandoned his post multiple times to tackle down the players, sniffing each and every one of them. I sighed. Couldn’t he had made it a  _bit_ more stealthily?

“Stilinski!” Coach called, grabbing Stiles’s mask. “What the hell is wrong with your friend?”

“Uh... he’s failing two classes,” Stiles supplied. “He’s a little socially awkward and if you look close enough, his jaw line’s kind of uneven.”

“… Hm… that’s interesting.”

I watched as Danny stepped up, and winced when he tackled Danny. At least it didn’t result in a bloody nose this time.

“It’s Armani,” Danny supplied.

“Huh?” Scott pulled back.

“My aftershave,” Danny explained. “Armani.”

“Oh. It’s nice.”

“McCall!” Coach snapped. “You come out of that goal one more time and you’ll be doing suicide runs until you  _die_ ! It’ll be the  _first ever_ suicide run that actually ends in a suicide! Got it?”

“Yes, Coach,” Scott replied, getting back to his post.

“Uh, Coach,” Jackson said. “My shoulder’s hurting. I’m gonna… I’m gonna sit this one out.”

I could hear Isaac growling lowly as he got himself pumped up to go after Scott. He knew that Scott was a werewolf, but Scott didn’t know.

I watched as the two Betas clashed on the field, doing a flip before landing on all fours. My eyes glowed for a split second as I could feel the tension rolling, but my attention was immediately taken away by the sight of my father arriving with two deputies.

Scott threw off his mask, storming over to me. “You knew!” he exclaimed, grabbing me roughly.

“Don’t touch me like that!” I exclaimed, pulling my wrist out of his grip. “Of course I knew!”

“And you didn’t tell us?!” Scott cried.

“What Derek does is his own actions,” I said, looking up at the teenaged werewolf. “I don’t control him. And it’s  _certainly_ not my job to report what  _my boyfriend_ does to  _you_ !” I jabbed my finger into his chest.

Scott snarled and I returned one right back at him.

“You don’t want to fight me, Scott,” I snarled. “I’m already pissed that you forgave Allison so easily, but since you’re my friend, I’m forgiving you for that. Any beef you have with Derek goes straight to me personally now, too, now that I’m part of his pack.”

“He’s turning innocent people, Sindy,” Scott growled.

“He’s protecting  _us_ !” I snapped. “He’s doing this so what happened to that Omega won’t happen to  _us_ , because  _you_ won’t help him. We’re weak on our own, Scott. The more we have, the stronger we are. The stronger we are, the more we can protect each other. Who’s to say they won’t go after Stiles? Stiles might not be a werewolf, but he’s certainly aiding us. Who’s to say they won’t go after my  _brother_ ?  _Your_ best friend?”

Scott growled. “I’ll protect him.”

“And how can you if our strength is in numbers?” I asked. I could feel my pulse racing, but willed it to calm down. Derek was impressed by the control I had over my inner wolf, and he had concluded that I wouldn’t need to be tied up for the full moon tonight… my first full moon.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Stiles said, coming in between us both. I took a step back, and I could feel my rage slowly decrease. Scott, however, was still tense. “Maybe now’s not the great time to fight. Anyone wanna fill me in with what my dad’s saying?”

“His father’s dead,” Scott informed. “They think he was murdered.”

“C’mon, Isaac…” I mumbled out. I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of Derek hiding Isaac’s father’s dead body, but the plan was until the police came looking for Isaac, he’d go to school normally and believe that Isaac’s father was simply away on another one of his trips.

My two male companions turned to me and gave me looks that said I’d be explaining to them later.

“Are they saying he’s a suspect?” Stiles inquired.

“I’m not sure, why?” Scott looked at Stiles curiously.

“Because they can lock him in a holding cell for twenty-four hours,” Stiles replied. I pulled out my phone, giving a quick text to Derek.

**Sindy Stilinski:** _**Dad showed up. They’re taking Isaac for questioning.**_

There wasn’t a reply immediately, but I assumed Derek was already on it.

“Like, overnight?” Scott asked wearily.

“During the full moon,” Stiles nodded in confirmation.

“How good are these holding cells at holding people…?”

“People, good,” I shrugged.

“Werewolves,” Stiles sighed. “Probably not that good.”

“Stiles, remember when I said I don’t have the urge to maim and kill?”

“Yeah.”

“He does.”

And I could feel it, as well. The plan tonight was for Derek to lock and tie Isaac to the subway car while he controlled me. He felt that he shouldn’t tie me up, but just in case, I should still be isolated.

I began to walk away, deciding I should head to chemistry. Scott and Stiles quickly caught up, and Scott asked me, “Why would Derek choose Isaac?”

“Peter told me that if the bite doesn’t turn you, it could kill you,” Stiles added. “And maybe teenagers have a better chance of surviving.”

I immediately thought back to Paige, and now Jackson. However, Jackson didn’t seem to be suffering as much as Paige. “No, that’s not it,” I shook my head.

“Then  _why_ ?” Scott gripped my shoulder tightly.

“Because Isaac wanted it,” I replied. “Derek and I explained his options, and Isaac willingly asked for it. We didn’t force him. We simply opened the door and he walked through it.”

“This is wrong, Sindy,” Scott growled, grabbing my wrist.

I pulled it out of his grip and growled lowly. “I might have good control, Scott, but it’s still a full moon tonight,” I warned. “I’m skipping chemistry,” I announced, before walking off, leaving the boys behind.

It sucked that Scott (and Stiles by default) were totally against Derek’s thought process. I understood it well.

I could understand Scott’s stance on the idea, though, and it was true. Humanity was something that should be cherished, that much I got from these past couple of months.

But survival was equally important. Never had the term “survival of the fittest” be so accurate to me.

I honestly felt bad that Stiles was probably caught in a rock and a hard place. Scott and I clashed often, and Stiles often had to be the mediator. This time was no exception, except… now… well, it could get pretty messy at this rate.

I sighed, leaning against a couple lockers. I looked across from me to see outside the window, and frowned at the thick clouds. How ominous was this?

I could hear Jackson and Lydia talking quietly a few hallways down, and I could also hear my father asking Isaac a couple questions in the principal’s office.

What a tangled web I was caught in. My life now could be a book, and hopefully with a happily ever after… A tragedy sucked.

Looking outside the window, I couldn’t help but wonder how dull my life was compared to this last… I mentally did the math in my head…  _wow_ . A month and twenty days.

It hadn’t even been two months yet, but I could probably write a whole novel on what had occurred in my life. This could be like, part two or something.

A sharp ring snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked down at my bag. I dug into it, pulling out my cell phone, which was flashing  _Derek Hale_ . I slid my hand across the screen and brought it to my ear.

_“Get Scott,”_ Derek replied.  _“I’m picking you guys up.”_

“Why?” I inquired curiously. It wasn’t that I  _wasn’t_ going to go with Derek, but… it was nice to know where and why we’re going with Scott.

_“Isaac’s house is completely trashed,”_ Derek responded.  _“We need to get there before the police take away all the evidence.”_

“Alright,” I nodded. “I think he and Stiles are in the principal’s office right now, though.”

_“I’m outside the school,”_ Derek replied.  _“Come out when you get him.”_

“Okay,” I replied, before hearing the dial tone.

I jogged over to the principal’s office, and waited outside. I could hear our new principal – Allison’s grandfather and that new hunter – talking to Scott and Stiles.  _Jeez_ , calm down, Scott.

_“However, this being my first day, I do need to support my teachers. So, unfortunately, someone is going to have to take the fall and stay behind for detention.”_

There was silence, and I knew right away both Mr. Argent and Scott were looking at Stiles. My brother heaved a heavy sigh, irritated.

My brother and Scott were excused, and I grabbed a hold of Scott’s shoulder roughly. “I’m gonna borrow him,” I told Stiles. “Good luck in detention.”

“I hate detention,” Stiles grumbled, and I all but dragged Scott away.

“Could you at least not be so nervous and give us away?” I hissed as I dragged Scott down the stairs. “Your heartbeat was audible from a mile away!”

“He sliced a werewolf in  _half_ , Sindy!” Scott whispered back harshly. “I have a right to be scared out of my wits! Now where the hell are you taking me?”

I threw open the door to the school just in time to see Isaac being taken away. He looked at me through the back window, and my heart clenched at the “lost puppy” look on his face.

I fisted my free hand tightly and released Scott, just as I heard Derek pulling up.

Scott stood there and I could feel his eyes staring at my back as I skipped down the steps, opening the passenger door to Derek’s car. I popped the seat forward so the back was accessible.

“Get in,” Derek ordered, looking at Scott.

“Are you serious?” Scott scoffed. “You did that!” He pointed in the general direction the car took off with Isaac in. “That’s your fault.”

Derek looked at my friend with an irritated look in his eyes and he replied, “I know that. Now get in the car and help me.”

“No,” Scott shook his head, much to my and Derek’s annoyance. “I’ve got a better idea. I’m gonna call a lawyer, because a lawyer might actually have a chance at getting him out before the moon goes up.”

“Not when they do a real search of the house,” Derek replied.

I furrowed my brows, turning to my boyfriend. He gave me a look through his sunglasses that said he’d explain later.

“What do you mean?” Scott voiced my own question out loud.

“Whatever Jackson said to the cops, what’s in the house is worse,” Derek told us. “A lot worse.”

“Just get in the car, Scott,” I sighed, leaning against the door.

Scott finally decided to climb into the car, and I fixed the seat before slipping in myself. I gave Derek a small peck on the cheek as he took off, looking at the road.

“Before we go to Isaac’s house,” Derek broached, making a turn down the hill. “Are you sure you’re okay for tonight?”

“I… I should be,” I replied. “I didn’t have the urge to maim and kill Scott today.” I looked pointedly at my friend, who was sitting in the back. “When there were plenty of times I should’ve.”

Scott sighed and he asked, “Can we not talk about this now?”

I grumbled, but relented, leaning back in my seat. My stomach, at that moment, chose to growl unnecessarily, and I remembered that I had skipped lunch.

The two males looked at me, and I slid into my seat a bit more. Stupid werewolf hearing. It probably sounded like a roar to them. Derek looked at me pointedly behind his sunglasses. I could hear him practically saying that I needed to be fed before busting Isaac out of jail.

Good. 

I think it’s best to feed the female werewolf on a full moon.


	24. Breaking Out

**MONDAY  
** **FEBRUARY 28, 2011**

Derek parked a bit away from Isaac’s house so we didn’t gather too much attention. He popped open the glove compartment and handed Scott a flashlight.

“Well prepared,” I complimented.

Derek nodded before closing the compartment. We all got out of Derek’s car and walked down the street to Isaac’s house.

“If Isaac didn’t kill his father, who did?” Scott asked as I closed the door behind me quietly.

“I don’t know yet,” Derek replied simply.

“Then how do you know he’s telling the truth?” Scott persisted as we looked around the house.

“Because I trust my sense,” Derek replied. He looked down at me, and I nodded, closing my eyes and breathing in. I could almost  _hear_ the breaking of glass, the contempt, the hurt. It was hard to do, but I was working on it. I couldn’t exactly pinpoint what happened exactly, but it wasn’t pretty.

“It’s a combination of them,” Derek continued. “Not just your… sense of smell.”

“… You saw the lacrosse thing today,” Scott concluded, looking kind of embarrassed.

“Yeah,” Derek nodded.

Scott looked ashamed and sighed. “Did it look  _that_ bad?”

Derek and I exchanged looks before the Alpha squeezed Scott’s shoulder. “Yeah,” he replied bluntly. I giggled and followed after the two werewolves. I slipped left hand into Derek’s right, and I felt him squeeze my hand gently as we continued to investigate the house.

“How do I do that?” Scott asked. He looked at me and asked, “Can you do it?”

I scoffed, “Of course I can. It’s not a bad idea to train under Derek, Scott.”

Scott sighed, looking up at my boyfriend with a grimace. “… How do I learn do to that?”

“You wanna learn?” Derek asked, opening a door. Scott shone the flashlight through the door, and I recognized it as the basement. “Let’s start now.”

I shuddered, feeling the fear off the walls as Scott took a few steps forward, down the dark stairs. I could smell sweat and tears, along with a very,  _very_ faint scent of blood.

Derek squeezed my hand, and I felt a warmth flow through me. He took the flashlight from Scott, shining it down the stairs so all of us could see.

“What’s down there?” Scott inquired.

“Motive,” I realized. I looked up at Derek. “Right?” The Alpha nodded, and we watched Scott continue down the steps.

“And what am I looking for?”

“Follow your senses,” Derek instructed.

“What happened down here?”

“The kind of thing that leaves an impression.” Derek led us down the stairs quietly, and I saw Scott standing in front of something. I furrowed my brows, when I saw that it was a small, compact fridge. Scott turned, and jumped at the sight of us, but Derek paid him no attention. “Open it,” he ordered.

Scott pulled the lock out of the way and opened the fridge. Immediately, the scent of skin, blood, sweat, and tears filled my nostrils, and I gasped as overwhelming fear and anguish filled my body.

My knees shook as I took in the sight with wide eyes. I could see the scratch marks on the door, made by blunt,  _human_ fingernails. The blood and skin particles were stuck against the door, and I shut my eyes tightly.

However, when I closed my eyes, I could hear it. I could hear Isaac’s screams.

A loud  _thud_ brought me back to reality, and I saw Derek’s hand over the refrigerator. He had slammed it shut. I felt like I could breathe again and inhaled sharply, filling my lungs with air.

“This is why he said yes to you,” Scott concluded.

“Everyone wants power,” Derek replied.

“If we help you,” Scott looked up at Derek, “then you have to stop. You can’t just go around turning people into  _werewolves_ .”

“I can if they’re willing.”

“Did you tell Isaac about the Argents? About being hunted?”

“Yes,” Derek nodded. “And he still asked.”

“Then he’s an idiot,” Scott concluded.

“And you’re the  _idiot dating Argent’s daughter_ ,” Derek retorted. Scott’s eyes immediately flew towards me and I shook my head. “Sindy had nothing to do with it. I know myself. And if  _I_ know, how long do you think it’s gonna take for them to find out? You saw what happens to an Omega.” Derek released my hand and grabbed Scott’s shoulder. “With me, you learn how to use all of your senses. With me, you learn control.” He held up Scott’s hand, which was started to form claws. “Even on a full moon.”

Scott threw Derek’s hand away. “If I’m with you, I lose her.”

“You’re gonna lose her anyway,” I scoffed, crossing my arms.

“And you know that,” Derek nodded. He looked down at me and nudged his head towards the exit before leaving. I followed after him, but was stopped by Scott’s voice.

“Wait,” he called. “I’m not part of your pack, but I want him out. He’s my responsibility, too.”

“Why? Because he’s one of us?”

“Because he’s innocent.” All of a sudden, a ringing filled the air. I looked down at my phone, and saw it was Stiles.

“Yeah?” I asked, picking up.

_“Great,”_ Stiles sighed out, relieved.  _“Where are you, Derek, and Scott?”_

“At Isaac’s. What’s up?”

_“Got a call from Allison. They’re sending a hunter to the station to kill Isaac. I’m heading to the station right now.”_

“Oh… that’s not good,” I deadpanned. “Any ideas?”

_“Not any in particular,”_ Stiles quipped back.

“How about we just get to the prison first and break Isaac out? And if the hunter comes, just knock him out,” Scott suggested. I looked at him with an annoyed look. “What?”

“That’s the stupidest idea ever,” I sighed. “But… right now, it’s probably the best one.”

_“Wait. Fill me in, here. No super-hearing, remember?”_

I shared Scott’s suggestion, and Stiles agreed it was stupid. I mean, we had a high chance of fighting a  _well-trained_ hunter. This was  _not_ good.

I looked at Derek, and he nodded, exchanging words with me without using any. “Derek and I will be there soon. Wait for us outside the station.”

_“What about Scott?”_

“Full moon,” I clipped. I quirked a brow in Scott’s direction. “Unless he can control himself… I’ll see you in a bit.” I hung up, slipping my phone back into my bag.

“Go,” Scott urged. Derek and I didn’t wait for anything else, and we ran out of the house, jogging to his car. I slipped inside the car, and before I could even get my seatbelt on, he was peeling out of his parking spot.

Thankfully, with Derek’s crazy driving and quick reflexes, we arrived a block from the sheriff’s station within ten minutes. Stiles had texted me and said the hunter was slowed down by Allison, and she was on her way to check up on Scott.

I ran to the station, where I saw Stiles’s jeep, and headed to his car. I popped open the door, making my brother jump and yell, “Oh my God!” I rolled my eyes and climbed into the backseat to allow Derek room to climb in as well.

My boyfriend closed the door behind him, while my brother glared at me. “You’ve got to stop hanging out with Derek if you’re going to sneak up on me like that,” Stiles lectured me.

“You can’t order me around.” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Wh- th- bu-!” Stiles sputtered. He huffed and we sobered up, looking into the sheriff’s station, where I saw a deputy at the front desk. “Okay,” my brother exhaled. “Now the keys to every cell are in a password-protected lockbox in my father’s office. The problem is getting past the front desk.”

“I’ll distract her,” Derek said simply. He moved to open the door, but Stiles cut him off, reaching forward.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You? You’re not going in there,” Stiles said. Derek looked down at Stiles’s hand on his shoulder. “… I’m taking my hand off.”

“I was exonerated,” Derek pointed out. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m also dating the sheriff’s daughter.” He nudged my head in my direction.

“Don’t remind me,” Stiles mumbled, running a hand over his head. “Anyway, you’re still a person of interest.”

“An  _innocent_ person,” Derek refuted.

“An –  _you_ ?” Stiles laughed. “Yeah, right!” Derek simply continued looking at Stiles, making him sigh. “Okay, fine. What’s your plan?”

“… To distract her,” Derek replied simply.

“Uh-huh,” Stiles nodded dully. “How? By punching her in the face?” He made a little growl, and I giggled at how cute my brother could be.

Derek laughed sarcastically before elaborating, “By talking to her.”

“Okay, alright,” Stiles relented. “Give me a sample. What are you gonna open with?” He paused to allow Derek to talk, but received nothing other than a soft exhale. “Dead silence. That should work beautifully. Any other ideas?”

Derek looked up at the ceiling and quipped, “I’m thinking about punching  _you_ in the face.”

“Wh – pft!” Stiles sputtered, turning around to look at me. “Do you  _see_ how violent your boyfriend is?”

“He makes a good point, though,” I replied simply.

Stiles looked at me incredulously. “You’re my  _sister_ ! Your  _boyfriend_ is  _threatening_ me!”

“Stop  _provoking_ my boyfriend then,” I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just go, already. I’m getting antsy sitting here.” I looked up at the moon wearily. My blood was just pumping with adrenaline, but otherwise, I felt fine.

All three of us got out of Stiles’s jeep, and Derek walked in first. I watched as he walked to the front desk quietly, waiting for the deputy to show up.

“Good evening,” she greeted, looking at a file. “How can I help…” She looked up from her file and blinked at the sight of Derek. I could see her straighten up and she finished her sentence, “you?”

“Hi,” Derek flashed her a smile.

I frowned.

“ _Hi_ ,” the deputy grinned.

“Um, I had a question…” Derek started. “Um, sorry…” I growled lowly in my throat, and I could feel my nails elongating, along with my teeth. He was mine. “I’m a little… a little thrown. I was really expecting someone–”

A slap snapped me out of my seething and I growled at Stiles, who jumped. He rolled his eyes and tugged at me, pointing in the direction of Dad’s office.

“Like me?”

Right. The mission.

“Oh, I was gonna say ‘so incredibly beautiful’ but, yeah. I guess that’d be the same thing.” I scowled, making sure to give Derek my best glare before Stiles and I walked down the hallway.

“‘Hi,’” I mocked. “‘Um… I had a question. Sorry. I’m a little thrown. I wasn’t expecting someone so incredibly beautiful.’  _Peh_ !” I scoffed.

“A bit salty, don’t you think?” Stiles inquired as we walked down the hallways. I growled lowly. “Whoa, whoa. Don’t hurt  _me_ .  _I_ didn’t tell Derek to go be distraction.”

I followed Stiles to Dad’s office, but paused just outside. I sniffed the air, now that my brain was suddenly focused.  _Blood_ ?

I trailed off, walking in a separate direction. I sniffed the air, smelling the metallic taste of blood. I could feel my nails elongating once again, and my senses made me aware of  _everything_ around me

“SINDY!” I heard my brother shout from a few hallways down. I snapped up at attention, and focused on Stiles. I could hear him shuffling and smell his sweat that was building.

I took off, rushing forward. I cringed at the sound of the fire alarm suddenly going off and sped up even more.

I arrived in the holding cells just in time to see Isaac, decked out as a werewolf, attacking the hunter. I rushed over to my brother. “Stiles!” I exclaimed. He jumped at the sight of me. “Are you okay?”

“Y- yeah,” Stiles nodded furiously. “J- just caught off guard.” I could hear Isaac shuffling with the hunter and then his body slumped to the ground.

I turned around, getting into a defensive stance, blocking Stiles away from Isaac, just to hear glass shattering. Derek had stepped onto whatever the hunter was going to give Isaac.

My nose wrinkled at the smell of wolfsbane, and Isaac growled at me, looking past me to see Stiles.

I snarled, coming into his line of vision to completely block Stiles from his view. Isaac growled at me, taking a step towards me.

Black obscured my vision, and I cringed as Derek let out a ferocious roar at Isaac. Even though it was directed towards the newer Beta, I could feel myself easing out of my transformation, shivers being sent down my spine from Derek’s roar.

Isaac, on the other hand, whimpered, curling against the wall in submission. He then peeked out from behind his arms, looking warily up at Derek.

Stiles sighed in relief, slowly standing up with my help. “How did you do that?”

Derek looked back at us and quipped, “I’m the Alpha.”

I walked past Derek and over to Isaac, extending a hand out to him. He looked at me, sweaty and terrified. “C’mon,” I said gently. Slowly, he reached out, and clasped his hand in mine.

I pulled Isaac up and said, “We need to get out of here. Stiles, you stay for damage control.”

Stiles frowned before stomping his foot childish. “First detention and now clean-up duty? Man! This  _sucks_ !”

“You don’t have a choice,” Derek replied, before the three of us made our escape.

Derek and I decided to drop Isaac off at the hideout first, since the boy just looked completely exhausted. He all but collapsed on the makeshift bed Derek had gotten him, and was out like a light.

Derek looked at me, and I climbed into the passenger seat of his Camaro. He drove me home in silence.

I was pouting, and he knew it. But did he  _really_ have to flirt with the deputy? He even  **smiled** at her. He never smiled at me before. I blew a lock out of my face in irritation, and I think even a small growl rumbled in my chest, which surprised even me.

Derek took a swift glance at me, but I pointedly ignored him. I never realized just how territorial dogs were until I actually  _became_ one myself.

He pulled up to my driveway, and I was relieved to see neither my father nor my brother were back. I got out of the car, giving Derek a swift kiss on the cheek goodbye (I was mad, but I wasn’t going to let the opportunity of putting my lips on the man go away).

I walked to my front door, unlocking it and entering my house. I closed the door behind me and took the stairs two at a time, making a beeline to my room.

I threw myself on my bed and sighed heavily.

“You’re pretty touchy for someone who’s usually so understanding,” Derek’s low, calm voice stated from the corner of my room. Of  _course_ he slipped through my window.

I moved my head to the side to look at my boyfriend, frowning. “You’re pretty smile-y for someone who usually doesn’t smile a lot,” I quipped back, throwing off my shirt. My clothes were sweaty, and I think there was a bit of that hunter’s blood on it…

“What are you talking about?”

I lowered my voice to mimic Derek’s voice, “ _Hi_ .” I adopted a higher pitch and repeated, “ _Hi_ .” I turned to Derek and blinked in astonishment, mocking in my deeper voice, “ _Um, I had a question. Uh, sorry. I’m a little – a little thrown. I was really expecting someone_ …” Taking on a higher pitch, I continued, “ _Like me_ ?” I pretended to look thrown and then, “ _Oh, I was gonna say ‘so incredibly beautiful’ but, yeah. I guess that’d be the same thing_ .”

The corner of Derek’s lips curled in amusement. I could see the twinkle in his eyes as he asked, “Sindy… are you…  _jealous_ ?”

I scowled, nose furrowing and I huffed. “No!” I crossed my arms over my chest, but Derek’s eyebrows just shot up. He was still facing me, but looking somewhere else. “Hey!” I called, extending my hands and snapping. “Eyes up here.” I pointed to where my eyes were.

“I’m well aware where they are,” Derek replied, still not moving his gaze. I shifted, a strange feeling stirring inside me, and judging from his growing smirk, I was helping his case.

Suddenly, Derek closed his eyes, and he sniffed the air. “You’re close…” he muttered to himself.

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. “What? Close to what?”

Derek simply cocked his head to the side, and stalked towards me. A pleasant chill crept up my spine, and he placed his hands on my hips. He leaned down, and I moved my head to the side, so he made contact with my cheek.

“Nuh-uh. You’re not seducing me out of this,” I said.

“Really?” Derek inquired, breath ghosting into my ear. He moved his hand up my sides, and down them slowly. He tilted his head, and took the top of my ear in between his lips.

I inhaled sharply, which wasn’t the best decision I had. When I took my breath, Derek’s fresh, woodsy scent filled my nostrils, filling my lungs and my eyelids fluttered as his scent began to invade my brain.

A warmth filled my body and Derek pressed me against the wall, flushing his body against mine.

“You  _were_ jealous,” Derek whispered, his voice an octave lower.

“So what if I was?!” I snapped, looking up at Derek. I could feel a surge of possessiveness flow through me and I grabbed the flaps of Derek’s jacket. I pulled him down, crashing his to mine.

I pushed my tongue to his lips, and he obliged, opening his mouth for me. I tugged him roughly before pushing him to the ground. I straddled him, and a low growl erupted from me.

I pulled back to catch my breath, huskily saying, “You’re  _mine_ .” I angled my head to nip and suckle his jaw, feeling his rough hair scratching around my lips.

He let out a low growl and flipped me over. I took deep, heavy breaths as he straddled my waist, looking down at me with blood red eyes. I trailed my eyes up him, glazed from all the emotions that ran through my body.

“I’m yours,” he told me, claws skimming my stomach. I shuddered at his feather-light touches and he hooked a clawed finger under my chin. “Just as you’re mine.”

He traced down my sternum coming to the center of my bra. With a quick flick of his wrist, I felt it snap open, before the straps were cut as well.

“What do you mean by that…?”

“I think you know  _exactly_ what I mean,” Derek said quietly. He then gave me a bruising kiss, and a moan escaped from my lips, before being swallowed by Derek.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, and I could feel Derek’s muscles ripple through his shirt, rubbing against my nipples.

I easily flipped Derek over, taking off his jacket in the process. I trailed kisses down the side of his jaw, nipping his skin and then his neck. I could feel his chest rumble as he growled lowly.

I let my instincts take over, honing in on my senses. I could feel Derek’s emotions flowing out of him and into me. I could smell Derek’s arousal, mixing with mine into the air. I could hear Derek’s heartbeat, mixing with mine and the sound of tires against the streets.

… Wait.

I pulled back from Derek abruptly.

“Stiles,” both Derek and I sighed at the same time. He and I got up and quickly got dressed, just before my brother slammed open my door.

A hand was over his eyes and he cried out, “Are you guys decent?!”

“Stiles,” I sighed from my bed, looking at my brother exasperatedly. “We’re a few feet away from you, not a few miles. And yes, we are.”

Stiles slowly peeled his hand away from his face, and scanned the room. When he saw Derek sitting at my desk, glaring at him, he quickly turned his eyes to me.

“I totally just interrupted a thing, didn’t I?”

Derek and I threw my brother the same,  _‘You think?’_ look and my brother held his hands up in surrender.

“I’ll have you know, I covered your guys’ asses,” Stiles sighed.

I rolled my eyes. “You probably just pointed at the unconscious hunter and went, ‘Uh, he did it.’ Then Dad just told you to get out.”

Stiles opened his mouth, but then propped against the side of my door, running a hand over his buzzed head. “Yeah. I did… And yeah, he did.”

Derek stood up from where he sat and walked over to me. He leaned down and gave me a kiss. “I’m going to check up on Isaac.”

“M’kay,” I nodded, angling my head to give him another kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Derek nodded, and then left, jumping out the window.

“… Does he do that a lot?”

“Yeah.”

“… Damn. That explains the weird noises at night.”

“Stiles?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”


	25. Submission

**TUESDAY  
** **MARCH 1, 2011**

“Alright, next two,” Coach Finstock called. “Stilinski!” Both my brother and I turned. “The male one,” he amended. “Erica. Let’s go. The wall.”

My brother didn’t hesitate and helped Scott up. I, on the other hand, lingered behind, looking at Erica. I looked up at the wall and then back at Erica. I could hear her heart pounding slightly erratically and I asked, “Erica? You okay?”

The girl turned to me, blinking in shock. “Y- Yeah.” She walked to the front, taking the equipment from Allison.

Stiles climbed up without a problem and came back down just as easily, whereas Erica was barely off the ground. I could hear her sobbing and then begin to hyperventilate.

“Erica,” Coach called, stepping forward. “Dizzy? Is it vertigo?”

Lydia looked at the teacher exasperatedly. “Vertigo’s a dysfunction of the vestibular system of the inner ear. She’s just freaking out.”

“I’m fine,” Erica choked out.

“Coach, she’s epileptic,” I supplied, making the man look down at me.

“Why doesn’t anybody tell me this stuff?!” he exclaimed. “I have to get – Erica… You’re fine. Just… just kick off from the wall. There’s a mat to catch you. Come on.”

I looked up at the blonde and said, “We’re right here, Erica.”

I could feel her muscles loosen up and she released herself. She moved down slowly, and Coach reassured her she was fine. The rest of the class, however, was amused.

I narrowed my eyes and walked after her. “Erica,” I called. “Hey, Erica.” I caught up easily and walked next to her. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Erica muttered, but I could smell her tears coming out. “Just another Epileptic Erica moment.”

“Alright, guys!” Coach called. “Class is dismissed! Hit the showers!”

I rubbed Erica’s shoulders reassuringly before jogging off, heading to the locker room to change out of my PE clothes.

“Sindy!” I heard a voice call. “Sindy!” I could hear the footsteps and then a presence beside me. “Um… hi.”

I turned, glancing up to look at the brunette before me. “Allison,” I greeted with a small nod.

“Are you…”

“Still mad about your aunt shooting me and you shooting Derek?” I supplied for her. “Yeah,” I answered bluntly. Her eyes widened and she shuffled her feet.

I looked at her, sighing heavily. “Look,” I broached. “Obviously I won’t forgive and forget that, but… you helped us out last night… so… thanks.” I could be civil. I might not like Allison as much as I used to, but I could be civil. Civil was good.

I pushed open the door to the locker room and changed out of my PE clothes. I was pulling on my shirt, when something in the air disturbed me. A chill went down my spine and I rushed out quickly.

I ran back into the gym, just in time to see Scott rushing forward, catching Erica, who fell.

Sliding onto the ground, I ordered Scott to put her on her side, as she was having a seizure. “No one step any closer!” I ordered, hearing the rushed voices of the people around me. “I  _mean_ it!” I added, in a low growl. I could hear people shuffle away.

I stroked Erica’s body calmly, hoping to calm her down. Thankfully, her clothes were baggy enough so they weren’t restraining her from breathing and slowly, she was calming down.

“There we go…” I whispered reassuringly. She stopped shaking furiously and I helped her up. “You should go to the hospital,” I told her. She leaned against me, tired. “I’ll take you.”

“I- I really couldn’t-”

“No arguing,” I said sternly, waving a finger in front of her face. “C’mon.” I turned to my brother and asked, “Get my stuff home for me? I’m taking Erica to the hospital.”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Sure.”

I supported her easily out of the school. By the time we were outside, she was able to walk steadily, and got into the passenger seat of my car.

“It’s a nice car,” she said shyly, buckling up.

I stuck the key in the ignition and grinned. “Thanks,” I replied, before backing my car out and heading to the hospital.

On the way, my phone began to ring. I lowered my music, putting my phone on speaker. Before I could even ask who it was, Derek’s voice floated out from the device,  _“Where are you?”_

I could hear Erica’s heart skip a beat at the sound of Derek’s rough voice and smiled softly. Yeah, he had that effect on people. I made a turn and said, “A friend of mine, Erica, had a seizure attack. I’m taking her to the hospital to get checked up right now.”

_“Seriously?”_ Derek deadpanned.

I sighed heavily. “I know, I know,” I replied. “How about this? You meet me at the hospital.” I took a small glance at Erica, who was still silent, more exhausted than usual. “You might be interested in something.”

_“Oh really?”_ I could hear him grab his keys from a tabletop.  _“I’ll be there, then.”_

“M’kay,” I smiled, satisfied. It’d be nice to have a female around. “I love you.”

_“I know,”_ Derek replied, before the call ended.

I pulled into the hospital and parked in the employees’ section. I waited patiently for Erica to exit and she and I walked into the hospital.

“Oh, hi, Sindy,” the lady at the counter greeted me. Her eyes then furrowed in confusion. “Are you working today?”

“Actually, no,” I shook my head. “Is Melissa here?”

“What’s up?” the woman in question walked up to me. She took a glance at me and then to Erica and her eyes fell in recognition. “Erica.”

“H- Hi Nurse McCall,” Erica greeted quietly.

“Erica had an attack today,” I informed Scott’s mother. “Do you think you could check her out?”

“Sure,” Melissa responded. “Come here, sweetie.” She took Erica, and walked away, just as the doors to the entrance slid open.

The air around me changed, and I whirled around. At the sight of the man, I grinned happily, and skipped over to him. I threw my arms around Derek and pulled him down, placing my lips over his.

Immediately, his hands went from his jacket pockets to my hips, tilting his head to kiss me better. My toes curled as I stood on them, and I had to lean against Derek’s hard chest to keep from falling.

I pulled away from him, and looked up at him through my lashes. “Hi,” I greeted.

The corner of his lips curled up and he replied, “Hi.” Then his facial expression turned serious and he asked, “So what are you planning?”

I glanced around and pulled Derek down a hallway that was for the most part, secluded. I leaned against him, reveling in the way my body molded against his perfectly. He didn’t complain either, simply holding me around my waist.

To a normal person, we just looked another couple… which we were… to an extent.

“Remember the girl I was telling you about?” I inquired. “Erica?”

A small flash of recognition went through Derek’s eyes. “The epileptic one?”

“Mhm,” I nodded. “Today in PE class, there was a wall climbing exercise, and she kind of… panicked. So she went back down. But then, after class, she tried to climb again, and fell, but Scott caught her. She began to have a seizure, and after calming her down, I brought her to the hospital.”

“You think she’d be a good addition,” Derek stated.

I nodded, “I do.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Melissa leaving a room. “Let’s go.”

We entered the room Melissa had just left, and spotted Erica sleeping. Derek pulled on the bed and I held the door open.

I followed Derek out of the room, and thankfully, no one was there. I could hear Erica slowly start to wake up, and she looked around curiously. Derek, however, simply pushed her head to focus and said, “Lie still.”

Erica’s eyes flew to mine, and I smiled down at her reassuringly.

I closed the door behind me as we entered the morgue, and I could hear Erica’s erratic heartbeat as she sat up quietly.

Derek, however, just leaned against a table and looked down at the pill bottle he had swiped just seconds before grabbing Erica’s bed. “Side effects may include anxiety, waking, acne, ulcerative colitis.” Derek looked at me, “I thought medicine was supposed to make you  _better._ ”

I shrugged. “Some things can’t be helped.”

“W- Who are you?” Erica asked, body shaking with fear.

“I’m her boyfriend,” Derek nodded in my direction, causing the blonde to look at me.

“Derek,” I supplied for her.

“You get a…  _warning_ right before you have a seizure,” Derek said, walking to the end of Erica’s bed. Something in the air changed, and I felt my blood spike.

“It’s called an aura,” Erica informed. “It’s… It’s like a metallic taste in my mouth.”

“You don’t have to lie, Erica,” Derek said as I approached them. I soothingly rubbed her shoulders, and felt her slightly relax. All the while, I kept my eyes on Derek. He glanced at me slightly, before turning back to the blonde. “What’s it really taste like?”

“It tastes like blood…”

That was why that disturbance I felt earlier had felt like a wave of invisible blood… I looked at Derek, and he nodded.

“What if we told you… that all of this could go away?” Derek inquired. His fingers ghosted over my hand, and I could feel my heartbeat accelerate Erica’s eyes shot towards me, and I smiled slightly, nodding. “The side effects, the symptoms… all of it.”

Erica’s eyes widened in shock when Derek suddenly pulled her forward roughly. “And what if all those things… not only went away… but everything else… got even better?” Derek turned his head to me and asked, “Isn’t that right, Sindy?”

His hand reached up and touched my nape, fingers curling around my hair. I purred softly under his touch. Oh  _God_ , that felt  **amazing** . A rush of arousal filled my body, and I heard him growl lowly, only low enough so I could hear.

“R- Really?” Erica asked, snapping me out of my high.

I gave her a stiff small smile, hoping I was coming off as casual, nodding. “Really.”

“H- How?”

Derek’s eyes glowed red, and suddenly, I had a flash of wanting Derek to bite  **me** . He growled lowly, seeing my eyes flash golden. “Let me show you,” he told Erica.

He bit down on her wrist, and she let out a cry of pain.

She whimpered when Derek pulled out his canines from her, and I hushed her. “It’ll be fine,” I reassured her. “By tomorrow, you’ll feel like a whole new person.”

“A- A- Are you sure?” Erica looked up at me.

I smiled. “You can trust me, Erica. I would  _never_ let anything harm you.” And it was true. I felt compelled to protect her, like a little sister… or even a child.

She looked at me for a few seconds, before nodding.

“We need to go,” Derek said, looking at me. “They’ll be looking for her.”

“I’ll find you later, okay?” I inquired, looking at the blonde. Erica nodded mutely, and we made our escape silently, before anyone could see us.

The second we made it out of the hospital doors, Derek pulled me away, pushing me roughly against the wall.

I let out a groan of pleasure as I felt his inner Alpha come out. His eyes glowed red and he dived for me neck, licking, biting, and suckling at the skin.

The blood was rushing through my head, and I couldn’t breathe. I gasped for air, and when Derek pulled away, I almost collapsed to the ground. I probably would’ve, if Derek hadn’t caught me.

“Wh- What was that?” I panted out, looking up at Derek. “Wh- When you bit Erica… I…”

“You were submitting to me, even when I wasn’t telling you to,” Derek mused quietly, looking down at me. He lowered his head to the crook of my neck and inhaled sharply.

All of a sudden, he pulled me away from the wall, and I collapsed against him. He growled lowly, before all but dragging me to my car. I hadn’t even realized he had stolen my keys, until he unlocked my car, throwing me into the passenger seat before climbing in the driver’s side.

“D- Derek?” I asked, buckling in shakily. “Wh- What’s going on?”

He growled lowly as he started the car, and I shuddered. My arousal heightened, and he took a deep breath, pulling out of the hospital at an alarming speed.

He swerved through traffic, and screeched to a halt in front of my house within ten minutes. I growled when he pulled me out of my car, and I let out a cry of pleasure when he threw me against it, not too hard, but not lightly either.

“You’re ready…” he said, ghosting his canines against my nape.

To add to the animalistic side of him, he threw me over his shoulder, and instead of using the front door like a regular person, he actually  _climbed_ up the side of my house and in my bedroom.

I pushed myself off his shoulder and could feel my blood pulse. My head, my heart,  **and** my nether regions throbbed as he looked at me with those blood-red eyes of his. It sent my knees buckling, but I charged at him.

He caught me easily, and I all but attacked his lips. Moans, snarls, groans, and growls mixed together and I found myself thrown on my bed. I bounced slightly, but was then pinned down by Derek, who all but ripped my shirt away.

“Hey!” I complained. “I liked that!”

Derek pulled away and quirked an eyebrow. “More than this?” he asked, trailing a  _clawed_ finger down my chest.

Oh  _no_ . Definitely not more than  **this** .

I could feel him hook his finger under the front of my bra, and with a flick of his wrist, that thing was shredded, too. Before I could even make a comment about my destroyed clothing, Derek’s face was buried in my chest, lips surrounding a nipple.

I cried out, grabbing at his hair and tugging on it. Oh  _God_ , I don’t know what was  **wrong** with me exactly, but if it made Derek feel like this, could I  **please** have this every day?

Derek began to suckle on my breast like a newborn, all the while shredding off his jacket and shirt. Once he was completely topless, he rolled us over so I was able to be on top.

I kicked off my shoes and socks, and judging by the thumps that hit the ground, Derek also did the same.

I pulled back, making his lips fall from my breast with a small _pop_ and couldn’t help but giggle. He rolled his green eyes at me, but my giggle was stopped when I sat back… and felt his own arousal.

Derek threw his head back and groaned. “I can feel your heat,” he groaned, before flipping me over.

“M- My heat?” I struggled out, barely able to think.

“When you submitted to me unconsciously,” Derek informed, his stubble scratching the side of my face, “you went into heat.”

My eyes widened in shock. Heat was like catnip for cats, right? But why did effect  _Derek_ more than it effect  _me_ ?

“Because your body is calling to me,” Derek informed, his hands running over my smooth sides. He reached up and squeezed my breasts tightly, and I threw my chest forward, letting out a small whimper. “Calling for me to mate with you…”

“M- Mate?”

Derek smirked, his eyes changing to his Alpha red again. “That’s right,” he said, bending down to talk into my ear. “Now you’ll  _truly_ be mine.” He licked the shell of my ear and let a warm huff into it.

I felt like I was pretty much wetting my shorts now, and let out a heavy pant. Okay… Okay… I- I need to think. Kind of. Sort of. Th- This heat thing is tiring. I can’t think.

Ah  _fuck it_ . Screw Derek first, think later.

Derek chuckled darkly into my ear, nipping at the shell. “That’s more like it,” he said.

His hands left my breasts, trailing down my abdomen. He unbuttoned my shorts, and pulled them down, and I could smell a strange, musky scent immediately.

He growled and slammed his lips back onto mine. “You smell that?” he asked, as his fingers hooked the side of my panties. “That’s your arousal… and it smells  _delicious_ .”

I let out a small cry, as he pulled the rest of my underwear down. The air hit my skin, and I shifted, rubbing my thighs together. He growled and pulled away. I missed the warmth of his chest against mine immediately and moved to protest.

My eyes snapped open, and he didn’t even bother meeting my gaze. Instead, he pushed me so my knees were bent and snapped them open.

The air around us thickened, and the musky scent got stronger. He closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. I could feel his claws elongated against my knees, almost digging into my skin.

My body pulsed, and he let out another growl, before bending down, and latching his mouth on me.

I cried out in pleasure, feeling his rough tongue – much rougher than usual lick from the bottom to the top properly. He was more wolf than human, and it was only further emphasized when I felt his fangs traced my outer lips as he lapped at me.

I wanted to squeeze my legs together, the feeling getting stronger and stronger, but Derek growled between my legs, making me shiver as his hands forced my legs from closing.

I began to gasp for breath, my lower lips tingling – actually, more like shocking me – as Derek continued to nip, bite, and suckle. As I got closer and closer, he worked harder, but then… he stopped.

A small whimper escaped from my lips and Derek chuckled darkly, sitting up straight. I could see my arousal all over his lips, and I licked my own. His eyes retained the red and he smirked.

“What’s the matter?” he inquired, running his hands from my thighs, up my sides, and back down.

“Please,” I gasped, my heart thundering in my chest. “ _Please_ , Derek.”

“Since you asked so nicely…” Derek said in a teasing tone, reaching for the button of his jeans, which was right above a rather prominent bulge. “Get my jacket pocket. My wallet’s inside it.”

I shook my head. “I…” I started, but then blushed. Derek quirked an eyebrow at me, his eyes fading to a green. He looked at me. “I- I’m on the shot. A- And I trust you. Always.”

Derek’s eyes flashed red again, and I felt my blood pulse, feeling my own eyes shift. He quickly finished taking his jeans – along with his boxer briefs – off, tossing them to the side.

I looked down at his arousal, and licked my lips. I could see the precum forming at the very tip, and I  _really_ wanted him.

Derek chuckled again, before reaching forward, but not to touch me. Well… not where I was expecting, which was my sides. No, he directly slid his fingers  _inside_ me and the two of us groaned together.

“Derek!” I thrust my hips against his fingers.

“Sindy…” he groaned out, twisting his two fingers inside me. Undoubtedly, he could feel me clenching around his fingers tightly, since I was so close. “So tight…”

He worked my lower body, and he didn’t even have to kiss me to make me feel tingles  _everywhere_ . Just by looking at me with those red eyes of his, I could feel like he was ghosting kisses on me  _everywhere_ .

As I started to approach my peak, he  _once again_ , pulled out of me.

“No!” I half-growled, half cried out. I wanted to cry, and looked at him. “Why are you torturing me?” I pouted.

Derek simply smirked and spread my legs, scooting in close to me. He grabbed and angled himself so his tip was right at my entrance. I let out a hiss of pleasure and he warned, “Last chance, Sindy.”

I growled and thrust my hips forward, letting him slip inside me slightly before leaving, and  _oh God_ it felt amazing.

His eyes snapped to mine, before he all but thrust inside me. I let out a cry, feeling him break through my barrier swiftly, but I think that because he had me so worked up, it didn’t even hurt all that much.

Or maybe I just healed. I dunno. Either way, it didn’t hurt. It just… felt different.

He growled and threw his body over me, supporting himself with his hands. His eyes met with mine directly and nothing but our heavy breathing could be heard.

A few seconds passed, before I asked, “Are you going to move, or I swear to God, I’m finishing this up myself.”

He chuckled darkly, sitting up, before pulling out slowly, but then thrusting back inside me roughly. In fact, it was so rough, I cried out in pleasure as my entire body moved.

He repeated his actions again, and I gasped for breath, as he did it again, and again, and again.

He gripped my hips with his large hands, and moved in a rhythm. I gripped the bed sheets beneath my fingers roughly, and I could hear the fabric rip under my claws.

Derek pulled out and slammed back into me, and I gasped out his name, and he growled lowly. All of a sudden, I found myself whimpering at the loss as he pulled out of me, before flipping me over so I was on all fours.

I glanced back behind me and grinned mischievously at Derek. “Doggy style?” I inquired. He let out a low growl and I bent low on all fours, making sure my behind was in the air. Boldly, I wiggled it in front of him and I could  _see_ his chest rumble before he gripped my hips, sliding back inside me.

I shuddered at his intrusion, gripping my sheets tightly and he growled, thrusting in and out of me roughly. I could feel him widen his legs and then thrust up, and I gasped out, “ _Derek_ !” as he started hitting a particular spot inside of me.

I arched my back, willing him to slide in and out of me more easily (well, not that it was hard in the first place), and hit that  _amazing_ spot again. He rewarded me with a grunt of my name, and a high-pitched whimper escaped from my lips.

Derek leaned over, one hand sliding around my stomach to keep me steady, while his left trailed his claws along my side, making me shudder.

He nipped at my ear, breathing deeply in it as he grunted every now and then. “What’s wrong, Sindy?” he asked, pulling out and pushing back in me in a continuous rhythm. “You’re usually much more passive.”

I let out a cry, not understanding it myself. I had a million quirky remarks in my head, but they weren’t passing through my lips. Instead, all I could stutter out was, “P- Please, Derek!”

His low chuckle rumbled against my back, and I realized that  **this** was  _true_ submission. Allowing the Alpha male to completely dominate me – to have me at his each and every whim. He kissed the area where my neck met my shoulder, and I moaned at the sensation of feeling his fangs against me.

“That’s a good Beta…” he cooed in a dark, spine-chilling tone. “I’m the Alpha, and you’re  **_mine_ ** .”

“I-” The word came out as a gasp, as I started to feel the pit in my stomach again. “I – I – I’m yours.”

“What was that?” Derek deliberately slowed down his thrusts. “I didn’t hear it properly…” I whimpered, shaking my head, arching my back into Derek to meet his thrusts, eager to speed it up.

He slowed down even further, so slow that I became extra-sensitive to every ridge and crook of Derek’s entire body.

A shuddering gasp slipped from my lips, and I lowered my head. “I’m yours,” I said in a soft tone.

" _Hm_?” Derek hummed into my ear. “What was that?”

My eyes flashed into bright amber and I heard the loud scratching of my sheets as I cried out, “I’m yours, goddammit! So hurry up and  _fuck me_ !”

Derek chuckled against my body and nuzzled me as he sped up once again, resuming his strong, fast pace. I let out a cry of pleasure and threw my body forward, and he nipped my ear. “Now, Sindy, I would  _never_ . What I’m doing, is making love to you,” he said huskily. “What I’m doing, is showing your body, just exactly who and  **only** who is allowed to touch it. Understand?”

“Y – Yes…” I nodded.

His touch suddenly shifted from dangerous and demanding, to soft, as he slowly began to caress my entire body. He nipped at my shoulder blades, and I angled my head.

He captured my lips with his, and while he moved in and out of me roughly and at a strong pace, his kiss against my lips were slow, sensual, and loving. He pulled me up so we were both on our knees, and I tensed as he hit another angle.

I cried out, and I could feel some liquid rushing out of me, down the sides of my legs.

“You feel that?” he asked, hands trailed up to squeeze my breasts before sliding down my body. “It recognizes me, and only me. Now, Sindy. On my command, you’re going to come for me. Can you do it?”

“I can’t do that,” I shook my head. I’ve never even had sex. I didn’t know even know if I could orgasm during sex. Virgins can’t, right?

“You _can_ ,” Derek insisted in my ear. His left hand reached up and squeezed my breast.

“S – Stop doing that,” I lightly scolded him, still bouncing with his rhythm. “Your giant, mutant-werewolf hands make me feel small.” I was a perfectly lovely 36B, but stupid Derek’s hands were just way too big.

“I think they’re perfect,” Derek replied simply, giving my breast another squeeze. “Now…” he trailed off, his other hand going further south.

“Wh – What are you doing?” I shuddered, feeling his clawed fingers run across my stomach gently, before his nails blunted.

I could feel the curve of Derek’s smile as he replied, “Making you come, of course.” His fingers landed on my clit, and I let out a cry as a shock ran throughout my entire body. “ _Now_ , Sindy. Come,  _now_ .”

I shuddered as my toes curls and I dropped to my hands. I landed on all fours and called out Derek’s name as I felt all the muscles in my body tighten before the greatest sensation ever filled my body.

Derek began to thrust harder and faster, as I rode out my orgasm, and he bent over me, covering my entire body. He pulled my head back so he could kiss me, and I felt him grow larger and harder inside of me.

My body began to tense again, and I could feel another impending orgasm begin to build. We broke the kiss and I gasped for breath as he moved inside me, going at an inhumane speed.

He hit a certain spot inside of me, and I let it out. I let out a sharp cry, and Derek let out an animalistic roar, stiffening.

I felt insanely warm as he filled inside me, further pleasuring my orgasm. He bent down and growled before I felt his teeth against the crook of my neck. Before I realized what was happening, he bit down, tearing at my skin sharply.

An  **amazing** sensation filled through me, and I felt my body tense again for a third time. I climaxed with a loud cry, and I vaguely heard more fabric tearing as the most amazing feeling spread throughout my body.

It was euphoric, and I didn’t want it to stop. I felt like I was flying, and my heart was thundering so loud it echoed throughout my entire body.

Once I came down from my high, I slumped down on my bed, completely exhausted, taking my werewolf boyfriend with me. I took deep, heavy breaths as I inhaled the smell of sweat, sex, Derek, me, and blood mingle together in the air of my room.

I could feel Derek push himself on his arms, and he began to lap at the bite he had left. I whimpered, shaking from the amazing sensation I got, feeling his rough tongue slide over my mark.

A high-pitched whine escaped from my lips as he withdrew out of me, and I immediately missed his warmth. He moved so he ended up on his side beside me, and continued to lap at my bite mark.

I wrapped my arms around him, cuddling into him. My own tongue darted out, and I couldn’t help but lick the sweat that had built on his neck, either. I could feel my fangs elongating, and pulled back, but I still had the urge to mark Derek… as mine.

“Maybe some other time,” Derek chuckled, pulling away from my neck.

I looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve fully submitted to me, and accepted me as your mate,” Derek explained. “I’ve marked you as mine, but you’ve yet to do so.”

I blinked. “I have to  _bite_ you? So we’re suddenly vampires now, too?”

“It’s more like scent-marking,” Derek replied. “But since you aren’t fully developed yet as a werewolf, you’ll hardly be able to leave an official mating mark.”  _Oh_ .

I nuzzled into his side, rubbing myself against him.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Derek said, wrapping an arm around me. “But what are you doing?”

“Well, since I can’t bite and leave my scent on you that way, then… I’ll just have to rub my scent all over you until I can,” I quipped, rubbing my body against his. And it actually felt amazing, too, so… yeah. That’s why I was doing that, too.

Derek smirked, before flipping us so I was pinned under him. His eyes flashed red before he replied, “I can think of a better way for you to rub your body against me.”

I could feel his…  _ahem_ …  _suggestion_ against my inner thigh and grinned wickedly. “I can, too.”


	26. Loyalties Stand

**WEDNESDAY  
** **MARCH 2, 2011**

I sat at the lunch table, before Scott threw his lunch tray in front of me. I watched as the brunet’s eyes furrowed before looking at me up and down in confusion. “What?” I inquired, cocking my head to the side. “Is this about Isaac, again?”

“No,” Scott shook his head. He looked at me strangely and sniffed the air around us. “Were you with Derek this morning?”

“No,” I shook my head. “… Why…?”

“You smell almost  _exactly_ like him,” Scott commented. “And I don’t mean just a bit. And when I mean almost exactly, I mean you smell like him mixed with you.”

“So?” I quirked my eyebrow.

Scott looked at me suspiciously and asked, “So who’s next?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Scott threw me an exasperated look. “Sindy, you know  _exactly_ what I mean.”

“And I say it’s none of your business what Derek does and doesn’t do,” I retorted, before walking away.

Just as I turned down the hall, I saw Erica coming my way, dressed absolutely to kill. The corner of my lips curled and I said, “Give them hell, but don’t take too long. Derek will be here soon.”

Erica threw me a confident smile, before strutting into the lunch room.

I exited the school building, just as Derek pulled up. I walked over to the front, popping the door open before sliding the seat forward. I leaned against the top of the Camaro, asking, “So… Erica looks hot. Makes me wonder if I should put on some make-up and try out some new skirts…”

Derek growled lowly, and I could feel his annoyance. I gave Derek a pleasing smile, making a mental note to wear a skirt some time.

I could hear the clacking of heels, just as Erica came strutting out, leaving behind a trail of drooling boys (I think some were literally drooling, too). She gave me a smile and I stepped aside for her to enter before I fixed the chair, sliding in myself.

As I buckled up, I saw Scott and Stiles storm out of the school. Derek actually  _smirked_ at them, before driving off.

“Must you really tick off my brother and best friend?” I inquired curiously.

Derek glanced at me, responding, “Aren’t you and Scott on bad terms right now?”

“True…”

**FRIDAY  
** **MARCH 4, 2011**

“Scott interrogated me today,” Erica reported, throwing her bag on the floor before sitting down on one of the empty seats.

“Did he now?” I inquired, looking up at the ceiling. Man, this thing was pretty sturdy to not break yet.

I had chosen to skip school today, not feeling comfortable around the teen werewolf. He was adamant about getting information from me, as he had attempted to do all Thursday, and I, annoyed, just walked away.

I played with my fingernails, frowning. Derek was trying to protect us all… but Scott was adamant that being a werewolf was a curse.

Was it really?

I became a werewolf so that I could live. Had Derek not bitten me, I probably would’ve died that night from the gunshots Kate left.

“You know…” Erica broached, making me turn to her. “Derek’s one hell of a stud,” she commented, giving me a grin. “How’d you snag a guy like him?”

I quirked an eyebrow, looking at Erica. “Are you implying a girl like me can’t get a guy like Derek?”

I knew I was shorter than most girls – standing at about 5’2”. My brown hair, slightly wavy, but not overly so, reached past my breasts, framing them quite nicely, if I do say so myself. Compared to most sophomores, I had a nice bust size, a 36B, but I didn’t have much curves. In fact, I was slimmer than most, but where I lacked in curves, I had the tone from my years of running.

All in all, I wasn’t half-bad. Granted, I’m not blonde bombshell like Erica or tall model like Allison, but I liked the way I was.

“I think you’re pretty hot,” Erica admitted. “But I’m just curious  _how_ you got Derek.”

I shrugged. “He followed me.” Which was pretty true. He had a penchant for being where I was all the time when I was a human… “Ask him.”

I watched as Erica’s gaze hooded slightly, and I angled my head to see what she was looking at. Derek was sparring with Isaac, dressed in a white wife-beater and black jeans. He was working up a nice sweat, making his shirt cling to his skin, and glisten against the dim lighting of the lair.

I licked my lips as flashes from a few nights before ran through my head, making me imagine Derek nice and sweaty in a  _different_ position.

I heard Derek let out a low growl that emitted through the area, sending shivers down my spine. The place where Derek had bitten – which had fully healed – began to throb, and I went to rub it. It sent a wave of pleasure through me and Isaac perked up suddenly from where he was on the floor.

“What the hell is that?” he questioned, just as Derek turned to look at me. His eyes met mine and a rumble filled my chest, and I could feel my fangs and claws get longer.

“Isaac, Erica,” Derek growled in a low, dark tone. “The two of you get out  _now_ .”

The second those two disappeared, slamming the door shut behind them, I pounced.

I jumped through the open window of the subway, tackling Derek. We rolled on the ground before I came out on top, moving down to take him in a bruising kiss.

Derek growled and flipped me over, straddling my waist before tugging off my shirt. I brought my claws up, and scratched Derek’s shirt off, and he hissed when my claws cut him, but then healed in a split second, as they were shallow cuts.

He reached for the button of my jeans and I lifted my hips up so he could peel them off of me, with my shoes and socks. I pulled off his jeans as well, the button popping off from my sharp tug and Derek kicked them off easily, with his shoes and socks.

I rolled Derek over and he growled as I traced kisses down his chest, gently rubbing my fangs against his skin. I nibbled on his hipbones and he growled lowly before I moved down, pulling off his boxers.

His arousal pointed straight up at me, and I didn’t waste time, going to wrap my hand around him. Of course, like always, my hand didn’t fully go around, but I moved my hand up and down his shaft.

I watched as a small drop of him leaked out from the tip, and I wrapped my mouth around it. I pressed my tongue against the top, feeling the salty, warm flavor that was Derek.

I bobbed my head, and Derek reached forward to grab my hair roughly. I hissed around him, and he groaned when I suckled him a bit harder at his tight grip. He bucked his hips and thankfully, I didn’t choke around him when he hit the back of my throat. Death by giving blowjob was not a way to go.

Derek grabbed at my hair, tugging me back up him. I reluctantly released him, giving the underside of him one last long, powerful lick before he all but flipped me on my back on the ground.

He tore at my panties, throwing them off into another part of the area, before crashing his lips down on mine. He rubbed himself at my entrance, and the two of us moaned at the sensation.

I spread my legs a bit wider to accommodate him, and Derek chuckled, grabbing my hips. I gasped as he suddenly flipped me over, and I instinctively braced myself as I landed on all fours on the ground.

Derek took advantage of my shock, sliding into me in one strong thrust, and I released a small howl of pleasure at him filling me. He released his own pleasured groan, and didn’t waste time starting up a rhythm.

I gasped under him, arching my back, which only allowed him to hit deeper spots inside of me. Derek grunted as he thrust in and out of me, and he moved my hair over my right shoulder.

He grabbed my hair with his right hand and tugged, and I let out a hiss and cried out in pleasure when he angled himself, hitting  _that_ spot over and over again. My nails dug into the cement floor, and I could feel the rubble under my fingers.

“Derek!” I cried. “ _Please_ ! Faster!”

He relented, picking up the pace, and I cried out at the euphoric sensation that started from between my legs that spread throughout my entire body. He released my hair and his hands sneaked under my body, and I gasped when he took my breasts firmly.

I moved with him, crying out loudly when he pinched my nipples, rubbing his fingers together. The sensations began to come from both my chest and between my legs, and I could feel the ground crack below me as I pushed down to meet Derek as he pulled out to thrust back inside.

“Sindy,” Derek whispered hotly against my ear. He lowered his mouth, before latching on to where he originally bit me. He ran his tongue over my skin, before piercing through it with his teeth.

I cried out and gasped, tears pushing from the corner of my eyes as I tightened around him. His mouth, his fingers, and he himself were just  _so_ much.

He suckled my skin, and I began to feel it. The burning feeling that just threatened to release.

“Not yet,” Derek ordered.

“I-” I panted out. “I- I can’t. I- It’s too much.”

“You  _can_ .”

“No,” I shook my head, crying when Derek gave a particular rough thrust. “I- I can’t hold it. P- Please Derek.” I could feel myself tightening around him, and he gave another thrust that was all too rough.

My control shattered and I cried out loudly, feeling myself squeeze and tighten around him as I released myself all over him. He let out a low growl, and pulled out.

I whimpered, body convulsing as I came down from my high. Derek took advantage of my sensitive state and flipped me over without difficulty. He rubbed his tip against me, and I shuddered when his tip flicked over my clit.

“I can’t,” I shook my head, hair sticking to the side of my face. I could feel my juices sliding out, making a small puddle under me.

Derek looked down at me with bloody red orbs and he replied, “I told you to hold it, didn’t I? I think that calls for a bit of punishment, don’t you?”

“Wh- What do you m-  _Oh **God**_ !” I interrupted myself, throwing my head back. Derek hadn’t given me any warning and slid right back into me, resuming his fast, furious pace from before.

With his left hand, he grabbed my thigh, giving it a nice squeeze before trailing down my leg. He gripped my calf and threw it over his hip, and I squealed as his angle shifted, allow him to hit a deeper spot inside of me. He was pounding on something with his tip, and it definitely wasn’t my wall. A breathless moan escaped me just as I realized he was actually hitting me deep enough to hit my cervix… and I liked it.

I took in air whenever I could. I timed it with his thrusts, inhaling when he pulled out, exhaling in a moan when he pushed back inside me. “Derek,” I moaned, pulling myself up. He supported my lower back and I pulled him down for a steaming kiss. Our lips, tongues, and teeth clashed messily, and my nose pressed against his. I pulled back to breathe, and he rubbed his scruffy cheek against my smooth one, and I moaned at the sensation his beard left.

As I was too small for him to actually suckle my breasts, he settled for pinching them with his right hand while suckling my neck, leaving wet trails everywhere. With my other foot that wasn’t over his hip, I bent it at the knee, spreading my legs as far as I could to accommodate him.

“You feel so tight,” Derek groaned, giving me three particular rough thrusts.

“You feel so good…” I sighed out. “Inside me… I- If this is p- punishment… remind me to be a bad girl more often…”

Derek chuckled darkly, and I felt his hand move from my breast, trailing down my stomach. “Say that  _after_ your punishment,” Derek said.

My eyes flew wide open as Derek dug his thumb down roughly on my clit, and I came instantly, squeezing him tightly. My hips began to close, but his elbow stuck out, holding my legs wide open for him. “Oh!” I cried out, hips thrusting under him. “Derek!”

He chuckled again before pressing down, and I screamed, throwing my head back. He released my back and I collapsed to the ground. His hand that was originally supporting me grasped my hip to keep my leg slung over him, and he continue to move in and out of me.  _God_ , how much stamina did he  **have** ?

“No,” I shook my head, feeling him rub circles. I could feel him hitting deep inside me, the sounds of our skin slapping together echoing throughout the lair, with our scents mixing together. “No more, please.” I was absolutely exhausted, and there was  _no way_ I could continue going. “Stop…  _please_ .”

“You don’t mean that,” Derek responded, thrusting and pressing down on me roughly all at the same time. I let out a sharp yelp. “In fact, you’re getting even  _more_ aroused, aren’t you?”

I was pretty sure there was a small puddle underneath me now, and I shook my head, denying it.

“You’re  _lying_ , Sindy,” he teased, and then he lifted my other leg, throwing it over his hips. He thrust upwards, and I let out a scream. He circled my clit, over and over, and he bent down, lapping at the sweat that was trickling down the side of my face. “Come for me one more time, Sindy. Come on.”

“I can’t!” I whimpered.

“You  _can_ .”

“No!” I shook my head.

“On the contrary…” Derek said, before falling silent, save for a few grunts. I screamed beneath him, my throat going hoarse as he worked me both on the inside and the outside. I thrashed below him, and he growled. In reflex, I locked my ankles together around him, and he pounded into me with a powerful fervor.

It came all at once, and I exploded around him again. I squeezed tightly, and I could feel more liquid trail down my legs as I released around him. Derek slid out of me as I continued to orgasm, a bigger puddle filling below me. Before I could relax, he thrust back into me, and pounded again. I cried, tears leaking out the side of my eyes as the feeling of him hard inside of me got stronger and he roared before releasing inside of me.

He gave another strong four thrusts, before falling down beside me.

I panted heavily, gasping for breath. Derek pulled himself out of me, and I moaned, extra-sensitive. I could feel and smell his essence sliding out of me, and my legs gave way, making me lie flat on the ground, heavily exhausted and sedated. “I… I can’t move…” I panted out.

Derek let out a breathless chuckle before saying, “With three orgasms and actually squirting one time? I’ll bet.” He pulled me close, taking a deep breath, inhaling my musky scent.

“Th- That’s what I’ve been doing?” I muttered. Well, it felt pretty  _damn_ good. I needed a moment. Just one more moment.

Derek and I lied there for a good ten minutes, before we actually had to get up. I went to go clean myself, and grabbed some new clothing to change into as well. We were going to go check up on Boyd later, so I had to be dressed and not sleep.

As I finished dressing, the door opened from above, and I heard Isaac exclaim, “ _Whoa_ ! It  **smells** in here!”

“Shut up,” Derek responded, throwing a cloth into the dirty laundry basket. I assumed that it was the cloth that he used to clean up the mess I (and technically him by default) made. “Erica, go to Boyd’s house and make sure to slow down whoever’s there. Isaac, you’re coming with us.”

The four of us left the lair, with Erica walking away while Isaac climbed into the back of the Camaro.

Derek drove us to the ice rink, and we waited in the shadows to watch over Boyd. When Erica joined us, she reported that she hit Stiles and threw him in a dumpster.

“You didn’t hurt him, did you?” I frowned, looking at the blonde.

“Not too much,” Erica replied. I narrowed my eyes at her and she grinned at me. “Relax, Sindy. He’s fine. He might have a headache, but no blood.” I pursed my lips, making a mental note to check up on Stiles later, but nodded. The last thing we needed was conflict in the pack.

As predicted, Scott entered the rink, approaching Boyd.

“I just not eat lunch alone every day,” Boyd interrupted. I frowned. I hardly knew Boyd, unlike Isaac, who was my chemistry partner, and Erica, who was known around the school for being epileptic. I felt bad. I knew he was around, but I never took the initiative to talk to him.

I thought about if I didn’t have Scott or Stiles… I’d be pretty much nothing at school. Stiles and I were incredibly close, because we always knew we could rely on each other. Scott… Scott was like our brother and we’ve been together for as long as I can remember.

There was this wall built between me and the other two now… Now that Derek was around, my loyalties wavered. It was pure instinct to stick by Derek’s side, and I saw nothing wrong with it. Scott had absolutely no responsibility over Isaac, Erica, or Boyd. He was just playing hero.

I didn’t see anything wrong in Derek’s plans, and I’d stick by him… until something I highly disagreed with would arise.

“If you’re looking for friends, you can do a  _lot_ better than Derek,” Scott said. Derek sighed inaudibly next to me before walking forward. Isaac, Erica, and I followed.

“That really hurts, Scott,” Derek said sardonically, stopping. “I mean, if you’re gonna review me, at least take a… consensus. Erica, how’s life been for you since we met?”

“Hm…” Erica cocked her head to the side. “In a word:  _transformative_ .” She let out a small roar.

“Isaac?”

“Well, I’m a little bummed about being a fugitive, but other than that, I’m great,” the lacrosse player shrugged.

Scott turned to me and asked, “Sindy, really?”

“I don’t see anything wrong, Scott,” I shook my head. “Becoming a werewolf literally saved my life.”

“I know that, but your circumstances were different than theirs,” Scott refuted.

I shrugged. True. I was dying, they weren’t. “It makes no difference, Scott,” I replied. “If they want it, they can have it. And you’re not going to get in our way.”

“Okay, hold on,” Scott said. “This isn’t exactly a fair fight.”

“Then go home, Scott,” Derek shrugged.

He looked past me and pointedly at Isaac and Erica, who took the command. Scott let out a growl and bent down, punching the ice. “I meant fair for them.” He roared at them and Isaac and Erica transformed.

“They’re inexperienced,” I said pointedly to Derek.

“I’m well aware of that,” Derek responded, watching the fight unfold. As expected, Scott had the upper hand, and ended up knocked out the two younger Betas.

“Don’t you get it?!” Scott asked, looking at the fallen forms of Isaac and Erica. “He’s not doing this for you. He’s just adding to his own power, okay? It’s all about him. He makes you feel like he’s giving you some kind of gift when all he’s done is turn you into a bunch of guard dogs!” With a snarl, he slid Isaac and Erica’s bodies over to our feet.

I crouched down, making sure they weren’t too badly hurt. After inspecting their wounds, which were gradually healing, I stood back up.

Scott looked at me and said, “Don’t make me hurt you, too, Sindy.”

“I don’t think you can, Scott,” I scoffed, flicking my wrist. My blunt nails turned into claws, and I moved to walk forward, but was cut off by Derek’s arm.

I looked up at him curiously, but his eyes were still trained on Scott. “It’s true,” Derek admitted. “It is about power.”

I felt Derek’s power roll off him in waves, and a shiver ran down my spine. He started walking forward, and transformed, letting out low snarls.

He head butted Scott, before scratching him over his stomach. Derek threw in a few punches and quickly took care of Scott without getting a single scratch on himself. He threw Scott to the ground, and I could smell and see the blood Scott coughed out. Derek stepped over Scott’s throat and the Beta let out a cry of pain.

I quickly walked over to the two werewolves and grasped Derek’s arm. I felt him tense underneath my touch for a split second before relaxing. “Stop,” I said, looking up at Derek. “He got the message.”

Derek snarled lowly before taking his foot off Scott’s chest. The Beta coughed and took in heavy breaths as the Alpha walked away, with me following close behind.

“Don’t,” I heard Scott pant out. “You don’t wanna be like him.”

“You’re right,” I heard Boyd say. “I wanna be like you.” He then joined us, and the five of us walked out of the ice rink.

I gave a quick glance at the Camaro before pausing. Upon not hearing my footsteps, Derek stopped, turned around, and arched a brow at me.

“I’m gonna go home,” I said, jutting a thumb in the direction of my house. “Check up on Stiles,” I explained.

“No ride?” Derek inquired.

“Well, first, there’s no room,” I said, looking pointedly at the other three Betas before turning back to Derek. “Second, I’m good. I could use a short jog.”

Derek nodded, and walked over to me. He tilted my chin up and his lips met mine briefly. “I’ll see you later.” I beamed up at him, before turning my heel, and jogging off.

I immediately parked my car when I arrived home, but strangely didn’t see Stiles’s jeep. I shrugged and stepped into the house. I could hear some rustling in the kitchen, and followed the sound.

Stiles was slumped over the dining table, with a bag of frozen peas held up against his head. My brother threw me an annoyed look and asked, “You couldn’t have warned me about Erica the Bitch knocking me out?”

“I didn’t know she’d do that,” I frowned, walking over to him. I sat down in the seat next to him, reached forward, and said, “Lemme see it.”

“You gonna make it worse?” My frown deepened and I pulled my hands away from him. I looked down at the woodened table and I could feel my brother freeze up. “Sindy, I–”

“You know I’d never do anything to hurt you, Stiles,” I said quietly, looking at the pattern of the table, which was slowly blurring. “You’re my brother, and if it came down to it, I’d give my life for you.”

“I – I know. I – I’m sorry. I– It’s just been–”

“I know,” I mumbled. I pushed myself from the table and stopped just before leaving the kitchen/dining room. I didn’t bother looking back and just said, “If it meant keeping you safe, I’d fight even my own pack for you.”

I left Stiles alone, and as I walked upstairs, I could hear the sound of him hitting the table and cursing quietly.


	27. Mine

**SATURDAY  
** **MARCH 5, 2011**

I sat on the stairs next to Boyd, watching Isaac charge at Derek. I yawned as he for the umpteenth time was taken down easily by Derek.

I spotted Erica at the top of the subway car and arched a brow. Did she  _really_ think she was going to take Derek down like that?

She lunged at Derek, but he simply turned around, grabbed her by the neck, and threw her on the ground next to Isaac.

Derek gave his two Betas an annoyed look before looking off in the distance. “Does anyone wanna try not being  _completely_ predictable?”

Erica suddenly lunged up, throwing herself at Derek. She swung her legs over his hips and Derek caught her to keep his balance. She slammed her lips against Derek and began to moan, rubbing herself against him.

A low snarl erupted in my throat and I could feel my blood pulsing through my veins, throbbing as my claws started to extend.

Derek threw Erica down in a split second and he wiped his lips. He glanced up at me and I saw his eyes flash red before glaring back down at Erica. “That’s the last time you do that.”

“Why?” Erica scoffed. “Because I’m a Beta? Sindy’s one, too.”

A low growl erupted from my throat and I stomped down the stairs. I grabbed Erica by the hair and threw her to the ground, snarling at her with my teeth bared. “Because he’s  _mine_ .”

Erica’s eyes flashed golden and she sat up, going to scratch me, but I simply stepped to the side.

I honed in on my senses, and I could feel Erica’s erratic heartbeat, along with her quick breaths. She began to move, and strangely enough, I could see her current self, and judging on the pattern of her moves, she was going to come from the right after jumping to the left.

I stepped back, dodging her claws before rushing forward. I jumped, kicking her in the chin and sending her flying to where Isaac was as I did a back flip off her chest – a move I learned from Derek.

I landed on a knee and my foot, keeping a hand on the ground to steady my balance. I snapped my eyes up and kept my senses trained on Erica.

“That’s enough,” Derek’s voice cut in. I snapped up at attention, and my claws began to get blunter and stood up straight. I dusted the dirt that had gotten on my clothing and took a step back. “And to answer your question, Erica, it’s because I have someone else in mind for you  _and_ because of Sindy. After me, she’s in charge.” At that, I snarled down at Erica, and she flinched. I grinned, satisfied.

I glanced up to see Derek looking at me. His face was unreadable, but I could see his eyes were amused. I beamed up at him in response.

“Are we done?” Isaac sighed from where he was, making us turn to him. He sat up with a groan and commented, “I got about a hundred bones that need a few hours to heal…”

A flash went through Derek’s eyes and I realized what was going to happen. Oh God… let’s hope Isaac knows, too.

Derek crouched down in front of Isaac and said, “Come here.” Isaac handed over his arm and I exhaled heavily. I heard the sickening crack as Derek twisted Isaac’s arm and the boy yelped in pain. “A hundred and one,” the Alpha corrected. “You think I’m teaching you how to  _fight_ ? Huh?  **Look at me** !”

I flinched at the sound of Derek’s voice, even if it wasn’t directed towards me. He was definitely installing fear into the other Betas as well, judging from Boyd and Erica’s wary looks. “I’m teaching you how to  _survive_ !” Derek released Isaac’s arm and I bent down to look at it.

I grabbed it and snapped it back into place, causing the boy to let out a small cry in my arms. He panted heavily and looked up at Derek, who was watching it unfold. “If they wanted us dead, why aren’t they coming for us now? What are they waiting for?”

“I don’t know,” Derek admitted. “But they’re planning something. And  _you_ , especially, know that’s not our only problem. Whatever that thing is that killed Isaac’s father, it’s going to strike again. Until I find out what it is, you all need to learn everything that I know… As fast as I can teach you.”

He walked into the subway car, and once I saw that Isaac’s arm was fully healed, I released it. I walked into the compartment, and saw Derek sitting on one of the seats, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, chin resting on hands, deep in thought.

I silently took a seat next to him, and rested my head on his arm, as I was too short for his shoulder. It was probably a lot better than his shoulder, as every time he moved, I could feel his muscle ripple against my cheek.

“Quite a display you showed there,” Derek said, sitting up a bit straighter, but otherwise not moving.

I snuggled into his side, ignoring the slick musk and sweat that was on him. To be honest, I found it  _attractive_ on him. This man could take sweaty and make it from nasty and smelly to attractive and arousing.

Derek angled his head, looking down at me. His viridian eyes met with my caramel ones and I could feel the familiar magnetic pull that I got whenever I was around him. I leaned in closer, and just when our breaths were touching, a sharp ring pulled me out of my daze.

I furrowed my brows, troubled, and reached into the pocket of my leather jacket (well, technically, it was Derek’s), pulling out my flashing cell phone.

“That’s weird,” I said, looking at the caller ID. “My dad never calls me when he’s working.” I answered and held it to my ear, “Dad?”

_“Hey,”_ my father greeted me with a sigh.  _“Just a fair warning, you’ll be playing chauffer to Stiles these next couple of days.”_

I sat up straight and pursed my lips. “Why’s that? I thought Stiles was getting his jeep fixed.”

_“He was,”_ Dad sighed.  _“Until a murder occurred. We’re taking in Stiles’s jeep and impounding it for evidence. It was on top of the mechanic.”_

“What?” I exclaimed, shooting up from my seat. “Is Stiles okay?!” I haven’t talked to him since last night, and we made sure to steer clear from each other for the whole day today.

_“Yeah, he’s fine,”_ Dad replied, and I could hear the rustle as he nodded.  _“He’s the one who called it in. Saw the jeep on top of the guy.”_

“O- Okay,” I nodded. “Is that it?”

_“Yeah. Stay safe, Sindy.”_

“Always am, Dad. Bye,” I said, before hanging up. Derek was standing, deep in thought. “You think it’s that thing again…”

Derek nodded curtly. “I need to train you guys.”

“I…” I inhaled sharply. “I need to go check up on Stiles. We, uh… kinda stepped on the wrong foot last night and…” I trailed off. Derek nodded one more time and stepped out of the subway car, effectively dismissing me.

I scrambled out of the subway car, running out the door quickly after taking two steps at a time. I climbed into my car and hit the gas, rushing home.

Oh  _God_ . Even though Stiles told Dad he wasn’t anywhere near the crime scene, I knew it wasn’t true. He obviously saw what had happened, and that worried me sick. He wasn’t super-strong or fast like us, and he sure as hell didn’t have the ability to heal quickly.

I saw Scott’s car in the driveway and barely remembered to pull out my keys before I stepped out of my car. I slammed open the door to my house and exclaimed, “Stiles!”

“Sindy?” my twin brother’s confused voice filled the air. I followed the direction of his voice and saw him sitting at the kitchen table with Scott.

“I heard what happened,” I told him. “You okay?” My eyes scanned him, making sure that he was alright. If that  _thing_ even so much as pulled a  _hair_ from Stiles, I’d–

“Whoa, calm down,” Stiles said, standing up. He grasped my hands, which I hadn’t even realized had shifted to claws. “I’m alright.”

“Jeez!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him. I pulled back and asked, “D- Did you see anything?”

His heartbeat raced and he began to stammer. “I- I- uh…”

“Why?” Scott asked. “Are you going to tell  _Derek_ ?”

I snarled and turned to the boy. “This isn’t  _about_ your little feud with Derek. This is about  _me_ hunting down whatever the hell that  _thing_ was, and finding out why the hell it was there and so  _close_ to my  _brother_ . Not everything revolves around  **you** and your little werewolf problems, alright?”

“Hey, hey,” Stiles said, tugging on me slightly so I would take a step away from our, well, at this point,  _his_ , best friend. “If I tell you, do you  **promise** not to tell Derek?”

I bit my lower lip, looking up at Stiles. This information would be helpful to Derek, but… at the same time, there would be  **no way** I’d  _ever_ give my brother up. “I…” I clenched my hands into fist. “I promise.”

“Okay,” Stiles seemed satisfied with my answer. “Now just take a seat, preferably on the opposite end of the table so if you attempt to murder Scott, I can at least have some warning.”

Scott threw Stiles a disbelieving look, which he caught easily. “What?” Stiles asked Scott. “She’s my  _sister_ , okay? I trust her, and  _you_ have to trust her, too.”

“But she’s with  _Derek_ !”

"And you’re with  _Allison_ !” I cried. “Who, may I remind you, shot  **_arrows_ ** at  _you **and** Derek_ that night! Whose aunt almost  **killed** me! And may I remind you that it was  **Derek** who helped get your ass out of there  **and** saved me?! For all we know, she could be working  **with** Chris and Gerard!”

“She’s got a point,” Stiles looked pointedly at Scott.

Scott huffed, and roughly threw him in the seat at the end of the table. After making sure that the werewolf wasn’t going to move, I plopped myself down in my own seat, across from Scott, but  _definitely_ on the opposite end of the table.

“Okay,” Stiles sighed, sitting down in the center of the table. He looked at me and then Scott, then back at me, then back at Scott. He sighed heavily once more and mumbled out, “God, you two are such a handful.”

I quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Fine, fine,” Stiles sighed. “Like Scott already knows, the thing was…  _scaly_ and reptilian. And he had really long claws, which… were pretty nasty. Um… before I left the door, there was something slimy, but y’know, it’s a garage, so I didn’t think anything about it. But when I saw the thing, I tried to warn the guy, but… I couldn’t move. My hand wasn’t moving, and soon, everything from the neck down was paralyzed.

“I tried calling for help… but… it didn’t work out so well. Then it appeared right in front of my face, and was looking at me… like… like it knew me. It was so familiar, but I couldn’t place who it was.”

“Like a friend with a Halloween mask on,” I realized.

Stiles nodded. “Exactly.” He played with his fingers, and I could see the troubled look on his face.

“That’s it?” Scott asked.

“That’s it,” Stiles confirmed. Scott then stood up, patting Stiles on the back. He wished him a good night, and then gave me a small nod as well.

Once I heard the front door close and Scott drive away, I stood up, walking behind Stiles. “It won’t happen again,” I said. “Next time that thing attacks, I’ll be there. You won’t get hurt.”

“… I don’t want you getting hurt for my sake,” Stiles said after a period of silence.

“I would if it meant keeping you safe,” I replied. I squeezed Stiles’s shoulder gently, before walking up the stairs, leaving Stiles to bask in silence.

**MONDAY  
** **MARCH 7, 2011**

I watched with amusement from the window one of the higher floors of the school building. Stiles was playing the messenger boy to Scott and Allison’s message, and it was actually quite funny.

“I’m so sorry about the other day,” Stiles reiterated to Scott. “I’m trying. We’ll get through this. Uh… I know, because I love you. I love you more than –  **Oh my God** ! I can’t – You and Allison just have to find a better way to communicate.”

“Come on!” Scott urged. “You’re the only one that we can trust. Is she coming to the game tonight?”

“ _Yes_ !” Stiles sighed. “Okay, message complete. Now, tell me about your boss?”

I noticed Scott looked around and I ducked behind the frame quietly just in case he saw me. “He thinks Allison’s family keeps some kind of… uh, records of all the things that they’ve hunted. Like a book.”

Stiles clapped his hands in recognition. “He probably means a bestiary.”

“What?” Scott pulled back to look at Stiles, confused.

“A bestiary.”

Scott chuckled lowly, looking at Stiles funnily. “I think you mean bestiality.”

I wanted to face palm myself. Did that boy ever think about anything  **but** sex?! I mean, I had one hunk of a boyfriend that was pretty much  _defined_ the term “sexy beast,” but I didn’t think about sex 24/7.

… Maybe 20/7. But have you  _seen_ Derek? I had a good reason to. And also, I at least got some progressive things done.

“Nope,” Stiles drawled, and I knew he was thinking the exact same thing that I was. “Pretty sure I don’t. It’s like an encyclopedia of mythical creatures.”

“How am I the only one who doesn’t know about this stuff?”

“Okay, you’re my best friend, and my twin sister’s… well, my twin sister, and you both are creatures of the night. It’s kind of like a priority of mine.”  _Aw_ , Stiles was just so sweet, doing his extra research.

“Okay. If we can find it, and it can tell us what this thing is–”

“And who,” Stiles supplied.

“We need that book,” the two sighed out. They exchanged looks, and Stiles was off.

I watched as Stiles ran through the whole school and outside, where Allison was studying. I was actually grateful that I had super-hearing. It’d be a  _pain_ to run after Stiles in the heels I chose to wore today. He quickly reiterated what he and Scott discussed, and Allison grinned in amusement. “I think you mean–”

“No, I mean  _bestiary_ ,” Stiles replied. “And the two of you… I don’t want to know what’s going on in your heads.”

“Okay,” Allison nodded. “Um… Can you describe this thing?”

“Uh…” Stiles frowned. “It’s probably like a book… Old, worn.”

“Like, bound in leather? My grandfather has one.”

I disguised my laugh as a cough as Stiles took off, running to Scott, who was walking down the hallway. I didn’t even bother listening, as I knew Stiles was just playing messenger.

Stiles ran outside the school, stopping at Allison’s table, hunched over. “Where,” he panted out. “Does he… Keep it?”

“Has to be his office,” Allison replied. Stiles took off once again, and a small chuckle escaped when my brother all but threw himself against my locker, looking at Scott, who was calmly getting his things out.

Stiles ran outside, and took out an inhaler, breathing in deeply, as he was out of breath too much. “You know,” he struggled out. “Drug dealers have been using disposable cell phones pretty successfully for years.”

“My parents check every call, e-mail, and text message I send,” Allison quipped. “Trust me, they’d find it.”

“Alright,” Stiles sighed. “Can you get the book?”

“Not without his keys.”

Having heard enough, I walked away. I went to my locker and grabbed a water bottle, before heading outside the school, just as Derek was pulling up.

I passed by Allison and Stiles, and threw my brother a water bottle. He caught it easily and looked at me, confused.

“You look like you need it,” I replied, taking in his sweaty, panting form. I slid into Derek’s car, closing the door behind me.

“Well?” Derek asked as he pulled out of the school.

“What? No ‘hello’ kiss?” I teased. Derek stopped at a red light, and leaned over, giving me a mind-blowing kiss that left my toes curling.

When he pulled back, I was slightly dazed, and I could see the self-satisfied smirk on his face. “What’d you get?”

I quickly sobered up and explained, “Well, Scott and Stiles are going to get a bestiary from the Argents. They’re gonna try tonight during the lacrosse game.”

“And Stiles? What did he see Saturday?”

“…” I stayed silent.

“Sindy,” Derek looked pointedly at me.

I bit my bottom lip and replied, “I promised Stiles I wouldn’t tell you.”

My boyfriend let out an annoyed huff. He knew of my protectiveness over my brother, which was only amplified by the natural instincts of a werewolf. “I’ll just have to get it out of him myself, then.”

I turned to Derek with wide eyes. “You’re not going to hurt him, are you?”

“Relax,” Derek glanced at me slightly before turning back to the road. “I won’t. Besides, he doesn’t even need to be physically harmed.”

… I realized what he was going to do.

“Just don’t give him a heart attack, please,” I requested. “I like my brother with his cardio functions working properly.”

“I won’t hurt him,” Derek replied. “Scare him, but not hurt him.”

“Then… I guess that’s fine,” I responded, leaning back in my seat. Derek gave me a pointed look. “You would’ve gone on with it even if I disagreed, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Derek nodded without hesitation.

I leaned back in my seat, angling myself to look at his profile. I could see his angular jaw was locked, just out of habit than anything else, as he focused on the road in front of him. One hand was on the steering wheel, while the other was wrapped in my left hand.

Hm… I never noticed just how…  _sexy_ Derek looked when he was driving. And to be honest, those shades looked  _fantastic_ on him. Actually, the man looked good in  _anything_ and  _nothing_ . I licked my lips and shifted in my seat uncomfortably.

I could see the corner of Derek’s lips twitch. Oh, he found amusement in this, huh? Well, let’s see if he’d find this amusing.

Thanking God that the windows were rolled up, I shifted in my seat before unbuckling my seat belt. Derek glanced at me, confused, but otherwise said nothing else. I leaned over the console, and licked my lips, before ghosting my lips against Derek’s ear. My left hand rubbed his jacket-clad shoulder, while my right hand went to his jeans, rubbing him through them gently.

I smirked when I felt him hardening through the material, and bit the shell of Derek’s ear gently. “Mhm…” I moaned softly into his ear. “How good of a driver are you… reflex-wise?” I rubbed my nose against his rough scruff, loving the feel of it.

Contrary to most girls, who hated body hair, I found Derek’s to be an  _incredible_ turn-on. I loved the feeling of it rubbing against me. “Actually,” I said, giving the corner of his lips a small kiss. “Let’s find out.” I gave the corner of his lips another kiss, before bending down.

I grinned mischievously as I heard him intake sharply as I popped open the button of his jeans. I unzipped them slowly, and gently smacked the side of Derek’s butt to get him to lift his hips. He complied, and I shimmied the jeans down slightly.

He was wearing plain black boxer shorts today and I did a little internal dance that I had  _easy access_ (so to speak) today. I reached inside the hole after unbuttoning it, and he hissed when I made contact with his hot flesh.

I pulled him out of the hole and grinned at the sight of him already at half-mast. “Well, hello to you, too,” I quirked. I rubbed him up and down a couple of times, and Derek let out a hiss. I felt him harden in my hand, before eventually standing fully erected, with a nice, white bead of pre-cum at the very tip.

I bent down, kissing the mushroom tip, and Derek’s other hand slammed on the steering wheel. I smiled against him and opened my mouth, before engulfing the entire tip into my warm mouth.

I suckled at it gently, running my tongue around the tip and then dipped my head, taking his as much as I could. When he hit the back of my throat, I relaxed my jaw, allowing him to go slightly deeper.

Pulling back, I bobbed my head over him, slowly, and wrapping my hand into a fist and rubbing whatever I couldn’t reach. Derek groaned from above me, and I could hear the purr of the engine grow before he slowed down.

“Better be careful, Derek,” I teased, pulling him out of my mouth. I stroked him gently with my small hand, and he looked down and glared at me with his verdant eyes. I smiled back teasingly.

“Little minx,” he muttered.

I leaned up, giving him a small kiss, before resuming my work. I engulfed him back into my mouth, and he moaned. One of his hands fell off the steering wheel and into my hair, tangling his fingers in my locks.

I moaned around him, just as he tugged at me. He bucked his hips and hit my throat, and I released a small growl, before hallowing my cheeks. “Sindy…” Derek groaned out, and I began to speed up my pace.

I felt his right hand disappear from my hair, and then my stomach twitched when I suddenly felt his hand over my abdominals. They trailed up my body, before reaching my bra. I could feel his claws form and then he cut through my bra right in the center, releasing my breasts in my shirt.

A moan escaped my lips when one of his hands wrapped around my breasts, squeezing and tugging on the nipple. I moved my head faster, licking and sucking him. More of his essence slipped out from the tip, and I made sure to run my tongue flat over him, taking it all and not wasting a single drop.

“Right there,” Derek growled lowly, and I wiggled my hips as I got comfortable, feeling my center get completely soaked. Who knew giving a blow job was actually a turn on? But then again, this  _was_ Derek.

I could feel him pulsing inside my mouth and sped up. He groaned and I almost couldn’t breathe when he squeezed my breast a bit roughly. I released him and inhaled sharply, before diving back down over him, releasing a small moan.

He bucked his hips and I moaned around him. I rubbed my tongue against one particular large vein on the underside of him, and he continued to fondle with my breasts, switching from one to the other.

As he got harder and throbbed more and more, I worked faster. He was close, and  _dammit_ , I wanted all of him. “S – Sindy…” he groaned.

I pulled back and began to tug at him. “Go ahead, Derek,” I said before diving back down. With my left hand, I reached inside his boxers, and began to fondle with his balls, playing with them. I pulled back and kissed down, before giving his sacks nice, firm licks. I took in his strong, woodsy scent and trailed back up, wrapping my lips around him once again.

He bucked his hips and I felt the tip of my nose meet his dark curls at the base. I moaned around him, feeling him fill my throat to the brim, and worked him even harder. I suckled, nipped, and licked at him, while my right hand played around with his balls.

He continued to throb in my mouth, and I released another moan when he pinched my nipple roughly. I squeezed his balls roughly, but not overly so, just perfect enough for him, and I felt him explode inside my mouth.

He groaned loudly and it mixed with my own pleasured moan when his taste filled my mouth, spilling all over my tongue. I swallowed all he gave me and I pulled back so only his tip was in my mouth.

He throbbed and twitched in my mouth as I rubbed him up and down in strong, even strokes. I could feel each splash on my tongue, and happily lapped it up. He was a mixture of bitter, salty, and a special tinge that just had me wanting more.

Once he was finished – five spurts later (wow!) – I pulled back. I gave his tip one last lick, before releasing his flaccid dick. He released my breast, and I giggled, kneeling on my knees and threw my arms around him.

I kissed his cheek, before nuzzling into his neck affectionately. It was then I realized that the Camaro wasn’t moving, and his arms were holding my waist steadily. I blinked and looked around, and saw that it was parked just outside the hideout.

“Oh, we’re here already?” I asked, jutting my bottom lip out. “I was hoping  _I_ could get a romp in for myself before we arrived.”

That definitely caught Derek’s attention, as he pulled his head back to look at me with a raised eyebrow. “You were going to…” he gestured to me.

“Finger myself?” I supplied for him. There was no sexuality lost in our relationship. “Oh  _hell_ yes! Do you  **know** how  _sexy_ it is to suck you off? To have you all warm and filling my mouth…” I rubbed my thighs together, feeling my panties dampen.  _Ugh_ . Who would’ve thought I – a girl who lost her virginity a whopping  _four days ago_ – would be dirty-talking her sexy-as-hell boyfriend in his sexy-as-hell Camaro?

Not me. But then again, Derek brought out this…  _enticing_ side of me I never even knew I had. And damn it if I wanted to show off my sexiness to him!

“There’s nothing stopping you,” Derek hinted not-so-subtly, looking at me pointedly. “If you want to so badly, I  _can_ go for a spin… while you fuck yourself.”  _Mhmm… note to self: Get Derek to talk dirty more._

I bit the corner of my bottom lip as a small smile crept onto my face. “ _Or_ ,” I purred, leaning up so I could continue to nuzzle his neck, “you can just sit there… and watch.” I nibbled on his earlobe, and he growled. I dared myself to glance down, and saw his flaccid (but still rather impressive) cock, twitch slightly. “Would you like that, Derek?” His eyes flashed red with desire and I grinned. He was falling  _right_ into the palm of my hand. “On one condition, though.”

“And that is?” he deep, rough voice rumbled.

“Instruct me through it,” I said simply, batting my eyelashes. “I’m rather…  _new_ to this.”

Derek groaned and threw his head back in his seat. “You can’t  _say_ shit like that, Sindy.”

I giggled and gave him a small peck on his cheek, before sitting back in my seat. “Well~” I sang. “I’m waiting~”

Derek growled lowly and he unbuckled his seatbelt, pushing his seat back. He turned to look at me and he instructed in his deep, Alpha voice, “Undress yourself, first.” I moved to grab my shirt, but Derek’s edit stopped me, “ _Slowly_ , Sindy.”

“If you wanted a striptease, Derek, there are other times and better places,” I commented casually, but slowly lifted my shirt nonetheless. He growled lowly as the skin on my stomach was revealed slowly, and I pulled the fabric away, throwing it into the backseat. I teasingly grabbed my breasts, and was surprised by how sensitive they were already, as I small moan escaped from my lips.

“I didn’t say anything about doing that,” Derek warned. “You’ll listen to  **everything** I say, or else a punishment will come.”

“Actually,” I drawled, “that punishment you gave me the other day wasn’t so bad.” It was exhausting as hell, but  _damn_ did it feel good! Repeat performance, please?

Derek growled lowly in his throat, and I was pretty sure my underwear was completely soaked at this point. Why did I even bother wearing any these days? “Take off your bra, Sindy, or I’ll  _rip them_ off of you. I’m pretty sure that little piece is quite expensive, isn’t it?”

Actually, it was. Why were lace sets expensive? Well, at least the incredibly cute and sexy ones that I was sure Derek appreciated. I dragged my eyes over to where Derek was, and reached to the center of my bra. It opened from the front, so the second I unclasped it, it sprung forward, releasing my boobs from their restraints. Derek growled deeply, and I could see his chest rumble. Wait – when did he take off his shirt?

“Focus, Sindy,” Derek’s voice snapped me out of my ogling his chest. “I believe I told you to get  _undressed_ .” He looked pointedly at my shorts that I was still wearing.

“Yes, sir,” I purred, and with one hand, I unbuttoned my shorts, all the while squeezing and pulling at my right breast.

I realized I hadn’t taken off my heels yet, so I bent down to unstrap them, but Derek ordered, “Leave them.”

“Ooh,” I grinned. “Kinky.” I proceeded to continue to take off my jeans, and threw them haphazardly to the backseat. I grabbed the waistband of my panties, and shimmied them off, and my scent filled the car. I moved to throw them in the back as well, but Derek grabbed my wrist, confiscating the lace.

“Jesus,” Derek breathed in heavily. He rubbed the lace and commented, “You’re soaked.”

“Only for you,” I mumbled, rubbing my thighs together.

“It better be only for me,” Derek growled. “If it’s for anyone else, I’m slicing their throats out.”

“How charming,” I replied. “Major turn on that is,” I commented dryly.

Derek chuckled darkly and he said, “I’ll show you how much of a turn on it is… Squeeze your breasts, Sindy.” I moved my hands to my chest, and wrapped my hands around my globes. As my hands were a bit small, they didn’t fully engulf them like Derek did, but it was enough for me. I pressed them together and pulled on them, moaning softly under my breath. “Harder, Sindy. I wouldn’t do it that lightly.” I squeezed tightly, and I could feel my wetness leaking out of me, onto the leather seat. “That’s it… Don’t forget to pinch those perky nipples.”

I moaned softly at his words, and rubbed my thumb and index fingers together at the tips. My hips involuntarily bucked themselves, and I could feel my juices spreading all over the seat.

“Now,” Derek instructed. “Run a hand down your body. Scrape your nails gently down your stomach just like I always do.” I did as he instructed, and could feel the goosebumps littering all over my body. “Touch yourself, Sindy. Feel how wet you are.” My finger brushed over my clit and I ran my hand over my slit. I moaned at the sensation and how wet I was, and Derek asked, “How wet are you?”

“So wet…” I mumbled.

“I can see that,” Derek replied and I angled my head to see him observing me with focused, red eyes. “You’re absolutely ruining my leather seats. At this rate, you’ll be washing the seats with your juices. Will you do that? Will you cum all over the seat, soaking the leather and possibly even splashing onto the glove compartment?  _Will you_ ?”

“Oh God!” I exclaimed, throwing my head back. “Yes! I’ll do anything for you! Please!”

“Slip a finger inside,” Derek instructed. I did as he told me to, and slid my right index finger in. I moaned at how my inner walls clenched around my digit, but it wasn’t enough. “Feel how tight you are? How  _good_ it feels?”

“Yes…” I bucked my hips against my hand.

“Do you want more, Sindy?”

“Oh, yes,  _please_ !”

“Slip another finger inside,” Derek told me. My middle finger joined my index and I exhaled in pleasure. “Scissor them inside you a couple of times, before adding another.” I did as he instructed and by the time I slipped my third finger in, I was so tight that I wondered how he even got his dick inside of me. “Extremely tight, isn’t it?” Derek murmured, and I angled my head to look at him.

He was looking at me with completely attention, but I noticed that his hand was on his cock, moving in long, slow strokes. I moaned softly at the image before me, and he continued, “Nothing feels better than being buried inside of you. The way you clench around me and gasp my name. Call my name, Sindy.”

“Derek,” I gasped out.

“Just like that,” he nodded. “Use your other hand. You know where you want it to go, right?” I nodded. “Where do you want it, Sindy?”

“M- My clit,” I stuttered out.

“That’s right,” Derek nodded approvingly. “Right over your little clit. Touch it for me, Sindy.” I brushed my hand over the little button, and shuddered at the feeling. “Must feel great. Now, continue working your fingers inside of you, and press down on your clit. Do it, Sindy.” I nodded shakily and moaned softly, spreading my legs wider to accommodate both my hands. I thrust my fingers in and out of my sensually, and pressed down on my bundle of nerves. “I’m faster than that, Sindy.”

Encouraged by his words, I continued to move faster and gasped loudly. “Curl your fingers,” he ordered. I did as he told me, and curled my fingers inside of me. His name escaped from my lips and I continued to circle and pinch at my clit, all the while moving my fingers inside of me. My toes began to curl at my impending orgasm, and I threw my head back in my seat.

“Come for me, Sindy,” Derek said. “Come for me _now_.” At his order, I cried loudly, my orgasm hitting me suddenly. I felt a wetness splash against my hand and pulled out my hand just as some wetness landed on my stomach. I began to shudder and shake from my orgasm, as my high escaped from me. I collapsed back in my seat once I finished my peak, and slumped back in my seat.

I could feel the wetness soak my seat and butt, but it didn’t bother me. I felt _way_ too good to even care. I blinked slowly, trying to focus and when I was able to, I blushed. Oh **_God_**. While it wasn’t overly noticeable, the wetness that was on the dashboard glinted against the sunlight. Well _shit_. With my expect hearing, I could hear a small drip and covered my face. I can’t believe I did that. Damn Derek for being too sexy.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Derek said, grabbing my wrist. He pulled my hand down and angled my head to look at him. “It’s sexy that you can do that.”

“It looked like I _peed_ all over your car,” I grumbled. “Crazily, too.”

Derek’s face spread into a smile and my heart fluttered at the gentle look on his face. “Wolves leave their scents by peeing. Granted, you and I don’t do that, but this is your form of marking your territory. I’m just as yours as you are mine.”

I blushed softly and I asked meekly, “Really?”

Derek chuckled and leaned forward, kissing me softly. “Really.” He pulled back and his eyes flashed red again. “Now... let’s say we mark the back, too, hm?”

Before I could react, he picked me up and threw me to the back. I thankfully didn’t break my neck as I landed unceremoniously in the backseat. I was forever grateful at how tiny I was, and watched as Derek climbed through the small opening with some ease. He was a pretty big guy, and I was talking his entire being _and_ his not-so-little friend that was bobbing at me in greeting.

He climbed over me and without any further delay, slipped right inside me easily. “ _Ooh_!” I gasped, arching my back, meeting his greeting. Forget Scott. Derek’s cock was my new best friend. Derek chuckled at my surprise and didn’t waste any time working an even rhythm.

I writhed beneath him, and since I couldn’t grab anything, I settled for his wrists, which were at my chest because his hands were – _surprise_ – on my breasts again. As he pulled and squeezed at my boobs, I cried out beneath him, until I was silenced by his kiss.

The air around us got musky and hot and it was quite difficult to breathe. The cramped backseat was filled with sounds of my cries and whimpers, Derek’s grunt, and the erotic sound of our skin slapping together. I wrapped my legs around his hips, taking him deeper inside of me.

Because of the small size of the car, Derek had to hold himself close to me – so close that his pubic bone and by default, hair, was rubbing against my clit in the most delicious sort of ways. Every time he thrust into me, his rough lower curls would rub against my button, making me cry out in the most absolute euphoric pleasure. Derek was an amazing lover, and there was no love lost in his actions as he continued to bring me to my delicious high.

It didn’t take me long to come undone beneath him, but he didn’t stop his relentless thrusting as I came down from my high. Oh no. Instead, he continued even _harder_ , and my eyes rolled to the back of my head as my legs spread to accommodate him. Only five days of this and I was a complete nympho for him. Jesus Christ.

And he was all mine.

“That’s right,” Derek agreed, thrusting roughly into me. “I’m yours. Just as you’re mine.”

“Mine,” I repeated. “Mine, mine, _mine_.”

“That’s it, Sindy,” Derek encouraged, thrusting in. He surprised me by not pulling out right away, and he swiveled his hips, making sure my clit was thoroughly rubbed before pulling back. “Yours. And you’re **_mine_**.”

“I’m yours!” I cried, submitting to him without a second thought. “Yours! And only yours!” He growled loudly and I shuddered at the submission my body willed immediately. His Alpha dominance was coming out, and I willingly let him take control of me and my body. “Please, Derek!”

“There’s my good little Beta,” Derek growled, his voice distorted from the power of his Alpha, which was all the more erotic. He thrust with every word. “ ** _Mine!_** ”

“Yours!” I agreed, and I arched my back and neck, practically forming a bridge over the backseat. Derek’s thrusts began to grow erratic, as he hardened inside of me just as I tightened around him.

“Come with me, Sindy,” Derek ordered. “Come with me right **now**!” As soon as he said that, he leaned down, biting down right where my mark was. I cried out loudly beneath him – practically sobbing – as I clenched around him, arching my back almost a full ninety degrees. I squeezed him tightly as he continued to move inside of me, and I could feel his release fill me deep inside. He was marking his territory inside _and_ outside of me.

His hips moved sensually and languidly as his teeth was lodged into my skin. He rode out the rest of his release, and when he was finally done, his teeth released me.

I slumped in his arms, supported by just his arm that was underneath my back. Well, I was officially a limp noodle. “I…”I breathed out. “I…” No words could escape because I couldn’t even breathe. I shook my head, and took in the fogged up air and windows of the Camaro. “I love you…” I sighed out. “So much.”

Derek chuckled breathlessly, before leaning down. He gently kissed my forehead before replying, “I love you, too.”


	28. Late Night Activities

**MONDAY  
** **MARCH 7, 2011**

I let out a cringe, even though I knew it wouldn’t hurt me, when the fifth player of the night went down on the field.

“Come  **on** !” Coach cried from the stands. “Is that thing even a teenager?! I wanna see a birth certificate!”

I jogged over to the field, and helped the medic carry the player away. The lacrosse player groaned in pain, rolling over on his side, but I held him steady.

“A small concussion,” the medic reported, pocketing his flashlight.

I felt his legs and when I squeezed gently, and he groaned in pain. I felt his ankles, which were beginning to feel a  _wee_ bit larger. “Sprained ankle.”

“Help me get him to the team room.” I nodded, hoisting up the stretcher and we pulled him away, while he groaned out about not feeling his legs.

On the way, we passed by Stiles, and with my hearing, I could hear the slight jiggling of keys, and knew Allison had given him Gerard’s. Looks like he was going to find the bestiary, and to be honest, I was glad. That dude out there was  _huge_ .

“I’m so sleepy…” the guy, Ethan, groaned.

“C’mon Ethan,” I encouraged. “Don’t fall asleep on me.”

“But I’m tired…” Ethan blinked back dully at me.

“No falling asleep,” I said sternly, and pinched his arm. That got him awake, and glaring at me. I simply gave him a small smile, and the doctor walked in, examining him.

I could hear the loud cheering outside, and then a familiar scent filled my nose. My nose twitched, and I heard some low growling, which was almost like a purr.

_Derek._

I stood at attention and excused myself, before rushing out of the room. As I threw the doors open, I took in a deep breath. I could smell Derek, Erica, and Stiles, mixed with a tinge of chlorine.

I darted off to the pools. My hair flew behind me as I rushed through the hallways, and just as I entered the pools, I could hear the sound of something  _hissing_ as it was popped.

“Holy God,” my brother said, and I could hear and feel his astonishment as Derek dropped a deflated basketball onto the floor.

Derek’s eyes fell to me for a split second before turning back to my brother. “Let’s try that again… What did you see?”

“Alright,” Stiles sighed. “The thing was pretty slick-looking. Um… skin was dark. Kind of patterned. Uh, I think I actually saw scales. Is that enough? Okay, because I’ve somebody I really need to talk to.”

“Just tell them, Stiles,” I sighed from where I stood.

I heard Stiles’s heart skip a beat in shock and he whirled around, exhaling deeply. “ **Jesus** , Sindy! Can you  _not_ ?! And why don’t they know this?”

“Because I promised you that I wouldn’t say anything, so I didn’t,” I pointed out.

“… Right,” Stiles nodded. “Right.”

I frowned. “You expected me to tell them, didn’t you?” I felt horrible. Did my brother really think I’d lie to him like that?

I honestly thought that the rift between us was fixed. I looked down, playing with my nails. “I’m… I’m going back to the game,” I murmured, before turning around.

“W – Wait!” Stiles exclaimed loudly. “Sindy!”

I left the room, going to head back to the lacrosse game. I didn’t get very far, when I heard a loud cry, a roar, and a heavy thud.

_“Ah, son of a–”_ I heard Derek curse before a splash. I ran down the hall, and ran smack right into a set of lockers because I was running too fast.  _Damn_ , were the floors actually polished this well?

I rubbed my nose in pain and sprinted to the pool, running even faster when I heard a second splash.

I threw open the doors and cried out, “Derek! Stiles! Erica!” My eyes darted around and saw Erica on the floor, unconscious, and Stiles and Derek in one of the deep pools.

“Sindy! Look out!” Derek and Stiles warned.

I crouched down just in time, and saw a scaly, strong arm where my neck was just at a few seconds ago. I kicked at the monster, and it let out a screech.

It whirled around, and I got hit with its tail, which sent me flying. I landed into another of the deeper pools and hit the water with a heavy  _splash_ .

I swam to the surface as soon as I recovered, coughing and sputtering to get the water out of my lungs. I glanced around, keeping myself afloat as I tried to look for the strange thing.

“Sindy!” Stiles called from the other pool. “You alright?!”

“Yeah!” I replied, breathing slightly heavily. “I’m good. Where is it?”

“Dunno,” Stiles replied and I could hear some water splashing as the two guys stayed afloat.

I pursed my lips and glanced over to the other pool, where Stiles and Derek were actually rather close to one another. “… Do I want to know exactly  _why_ you guys are so chummy all of a sudden?”

“I got scratched,” Derek replied simply. “I’m paralyzed from the neck down.”

_Ah_ .  _Whatever-that-thing-was toxin._ It seems as though it had some poison in its claws that did that. Even just  _touching_ it would paralyze you.

“You get me out of here before I drown,” Derek ordered Stiles.

“You’re worried about  _drowning_ ?” Stiles sputtered. “Did you notice the thing out there with multiple rows of razor sharp teeth?”

“Did you notice I’m paralyzed from the neck down in  _eight feet of water_ ?!”

I couldn’t help it. A giggle escaped from my throat. The two closest males in my life turned to look at me. I cleared my throat and apologized, “Sorry. It’s just… you two are funny.”

Derek let out a rough sigh and I could  _hear_ Stiles’s eyes rolling. I could hear Stiles splashing around, trying to get them out of the water. Come to think of it, I needed to get out, too.

Wet, lace undergarments were  _not_ comfortable.

… What?

I wanted to surprise Derek, okay?

I went to swim to the edge, when I heard Derek order for us to stop. I heard the low hissing of the creature, and turned to see it circling the pools, but never coming any closer.

“What’s it waiting for?” Stiles inquired.

It circled closer and closer, until it got to the edge of the pool Derek and Stiles were in. It touched the water, but then hissed powerfully, before backing away.

“Wait, did you see that?” Stiles asked. “I don’t think it can swim.”

“That’s lovely,” I responded from where I was. “A deranged, psychotic creature that can murder but can’t swim.”

“I thought I was the sarcastic one,” Stiles replied.

“I’ve got  _some_ snark in me, too,” I quipped. “You just got most of it.”

“Could you two focus on trying to get us out of here and worry about who’s the more sarcastic one later?” Derek commented, slightly irked.

I frowned, turning to look at my boyfriend. “You can forget about the surprise I had for you later, then.”

That caught his attention. “What’s that?”

I gave him a smile, the corner of my lips curling as I gave him a hooded look. “Wouldn’t  _you_ like to know?” I was pretty sure my pheromones were flying towards him, as well.

“Ah,  _gross_ ,” Stiles groaned. “We’re trapped in eight feet of water in  _separate_ pools, someone’s unconscious, and we’ve got this strange thing waiting ten feet away that will kill us as soon as we get out of the pool, and you guys are  _still_ flirting. It’s bad enough I heard you guys banging away in the shower yesterday.”

“Oh- _kay_ !” I exclaimed, no longer needing to know that my brother could hear my boyfriend and I go at it. “So… what’s the plan?”

“We need to call Scott,” Derek said. “Where is he?”

“God if I know,” I replied, reaching into my jeans. I pulled out my phone, but frowned when I saw the screen was completely cracked. “Aw,  _come on_ !” I held it above me, trying to stay afloat and tried to turn it back on.  _No dice_ . “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

The thing must’ve hit it when he hit me with that stupid, scaly tail of his.

“I don’t think I can do this much longer,” my brother struggled out. It got quiet for a second, and I could only hear Stiles and my heavy breathing.

“No, no, no, no!” I heard Derek protest and turned to see what was going on. “Don’t even think about it!” Stiles was looking at his phone, which was on the floor at the edge of the pool.

“Stiles…” I warned.

“Would you just trust me this once?” Stiles inquired.

“No!” Derek protested so loudly that it echoed through the walls.

“I’m the one keeping you alive, okay? Have you noticed that?”

“Yeah,” Derek replied. “And when the paralysis wears off, who’s gonna be able to fight that thing? You or me?”

“So that’s why I’ve been holding you up the past two hours?”

“Yup. You don’t trust me. I don’t trust you,” Derek solidly stated. “You need me to survive, which is why you are  _not_ let me go.”

I watched carefully, seeing the contemplative look in my brother’s eyes.  _Oh **no**_ . My boyfriend was  _not_ going to be happy.

“Stiles-!”

My brother released Derek, and I watched as the werewolf fell underwater and my brother made a mad swim to the edge of the pool.

“You better hurry your ass, Stiles!” I exclaimed. I swam to the edge of the pool to distract the thing, but it ran to Stiles. I climbed half-way out and it hissed, before lunging towards me.

I pulled back just in time, just as I heard the ringing from Stiles’s phone. “Scott!” Stiles exclaimed when the teen wolf picked up.

_“I can’t talk right now,”_ Scott replied, before I heard a dial tone.

I groaned. You’ve  **_got_ ** to be fucking kidding me. I was gonna kick his ass.

Stiles let out a frustrated groan, before diving underwater, going to rescue my paralyzed boyfriend. The two of them emerged a minute later, and Derek gasped for breath.

“Tell me you got him.” The two exchanged looks, and I could feel Derek’s frustration roll off in waves.

I was absolutely soaked to the bone. It’s been over  _two_ hours. I wanted to just get out and kill the thing, but obviously, I couldn’t do it alone. I needed at  _least_ Scott here, but obviously, he wasn’t.

“He better be looking for that goddamn bestiary and not off with Allison, or I swear to God, I’m ripping his lungs and intestines out,” I growled.

The thing let out a large cry, and I continued to grumble.

“I can’t stay up any longer,” my brother protested. “I need something to hold on to.”

They swam to the edge of the pool, and I heard the doors being thrown open and sighed out.  _About fucking time._

Scott grabbed onto Stiles and Derek just before they submerged in the water and threw them out. The werewolf let out a roar and I began to swim to the edge.

Using Scott as a distraction, I lunged out of the water and tackled the thing to the ground. We scuffled, and I thankfully avoided his claws – multiple times.

I got thrown against the wall just as Scott back on his feet after being thrown by the thing’s tail. Scott then picked up a piece of glass that had shattered, and the thing hissed.

I made sure my back was to Stiles and Derek, keeping them out of harm’s way. It looked at the reflective surface of the mirror for a second, almost like it was…  _confused_ , before running away.

Seeing it gone, I rushed over to Derek and Stiles, who were both breathing heavily.

“Thank God you two are okay!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around them. They panted heavily, still, but relaxed under my hold. Stiles weakly patted my back, and I was sure he wasn’t up for a swim any time soon.

I grabbed my bag, which had fallen at the side of the pool a long time ago, and handed Stiles my car keys. “There are extra clothes in my trunk.”

“Th – thanks,” Stiles breathed out, before shakily standing up. He stumbled out of the room, and I heard a small crash and him cursing.  _Typical Stiles._

“You okay…?” I asked, turning to look at Derek.

“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “I can feel the paralysis wearing off.” I helped Derek stand up, and I was never gladder for werewolf stamina. I felt slightly out of breath, but not so much.

Scott had went to wake up Erica, and she looked at Derek and I, confused.

“We were trapped in the pool for two hours,” I bluntly told Erica. Once the paralysis wore off, Derek pushed himself off me gently, before running a hand through his wet hair.

“I have extra clothes in my trunk,” Derek informed me. “I’ll change and meet you outside.” I nodded and he left, leaving a trail of water behind him.  _Welp_ . At least it wasn’t me.

The doors opened again, and Stiles came walking in wearing a red Adidas tracksuit that I had around for workout purposes. He was carrying another pair of jeans and a t-shirt for me.

“I got you extra clothes, too,” Stiles said, handing me the clothing.

“Thanks,” I smiled, taking it from his hands.

“Stiles,” Scott said, jogging over to my brother and me. “I got the bestiary.” Stiles looked at me, and I waved him off.

The two boys walked off, and Erica walked over to me. She looked down at me sheepishly as I rinsed out my wet hair. “Sorry,” she told me.

“For not helping us out or kissing my boyfriend?” I quipped, squeezing some more water out of my clothes. Since nobody was around but Erica, I took off my shirt, rinsing that out.

“… Both,” Erica answered sheepishly. “Derek’s a good guy. I promise I won’t try anything again. I was just curious what would he do if I kissed him.”

I turned, quirking an eyebrow at Erica. “I don’t think you can, anyway.”

Erica smiled and replied, “Yeah. I can’t. So… we good?”

I looked at her and listened to her heartbeat. It was calm and steady. I smiled. “Yeah,” I replied. “But if you try it again, I’m beating you up.”

Erica gave a small smile. “I wouldn’t put you past that. You look hot when you’re mad, by the way.” She winked.

I let out a laugh and shook my head. “Get out of here,” I said, bobbing my head towards the door. I really needed to get changed. Erica smiled at me before leaving me. I walked over to grab one of the towels off the towel rack. It was placed there just in case people didn’t have their own towels, and I was glad they had these.

I wiped myself dry, before taking off the rest of my clothes. I frowned when I realized Stiles didn’t grab any undergarments for me, but then again… I didn’t  _have_ any extra underwear.  **_Dammit_ ** . Who the hell ever expected to get soaking wet in a pool for  _two hours_ anyway? I decided to forgo the underwear, throwing on the shirt and jeans. I winced when I didn’t like the feel of my jeans against myself, but shrugged it off.

I threw the towel in the dirty towels section, and gathered my clothing. I left the pool area, glad to finally be gone from there.

As I walked outside, I saw Scott and Stiles hovered over a laptop on top of Scott’s car.

I peered around Stiles’s shoulder and asked, “What kind of language is that?”  _Was_ it even a language?

Stiles and Scott jumped in shock and I could hear both of their erratic heartbeats. “Jesus!” the two exclaimed. “Don’t  _do_ that!”

“Stiles I understand, but… shouldn’t you have heard me?” I questioned, looking at Scott. The teenaged wolf grumbled and turned back to the laptop screen, ignoring me. I huffed.  _Well_ .

“Seriously, though,” Stiles said, turning back to the screen. “Sindy’s right. Is this even a language?”

“How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?” Scott inquired.

“It’s called a Kanima,” Derek’s voice appeared. I glanced up from the laptop screen and smiled, before skipping over to Derek. I grabbed his left arm and pressed myself against him. His eyebrow quirked at something, but then turned back to Scott and Stiles.

“You knew the whole time,” my brother accused.

“No,” Derek shook his head. “Only when it was confused by its own reflection.”

“It doesn’t know what it is,” Scott realized.

“Or who,” Derek added.

Stiles exhaled softly. “What else do you know?”

“Just stories,” Derek admitted. “Rumors.”

“But it’s like us…?” Scott inquired.

“A shape-shifter, yes. But… it’s… it’s know right. It’s like a…” Derek tried searching for the right word.

Stiles exhaled again. “It’s like an abomination.” Derek nodded slowly.

He looked down at me and nudged his head. I nodded and handed my keys to Stiles, telling him to take my car home. I moved to walk away with Derek and Erica, when Scott’s voice stopped us.

“Derek,” Scott said. “We need to work together on this. Maybe even tell the Argents.”

“You trust them?” Derek accused.

“Nobody trusts anyone!” Scott exclaimed. “That’s the problem. While we’re here, arguing about who’s on what side, there’s something scarier, stronger, and faster than any of us, and it’s killing people and we still don’t even know anything about it!”

“Maybe there’s a  _reason_ why we all don’t trust each other,” I added my own two cents. “ _Maybe_ it’s because both Derek and  _you_ have had an arrow lodged in you.  _Maybe_ it’s because  _I_ had bullets inside me. Or  _maybe_ , just  _maybe_ that even without that thing, there are people trying to kill us!”

“I know one thing,” Derek growled, abruptly turning around. “When I find it? I’m gonna kill it!”

He strode away so quickly that if he wasn’t holding on to me, I would’ve had to jog to keep up with him, just like how Erica was right now.

As it turns out, when we got to where Derek was parked, there was another car. Apparently, Erica had driven herself here. She got into her car after giving us goodbyes, and drove off. I went over to the passenger seat, popping the door open. I threw my wet clothes on the floor, not wanting to get the seats dirty. Before I could even get in, though, I was roughly pulled back and the door was slammed shut.

“Did you think I  _wouldn’t_ notice?” Derek inquired, pressing me against the car. A small moan escaped my lips when I felt every ridge of Derek’s muscles against me. He reached up my body, snaking under my shirt, before grabbing my bare breasts and squeezing them tightly. “You little minx…”

“I – I…” Gasping for air, I couldn’t make out the words. My mind was going a million miles a minute. “I didn’t have spare underwear.”

Through my hooded eyes, I could see Derek’s crimson before his right hand released my left breast. My stomach muscles tightened when his clawed hands lightly scraped my skin. I let out a low, long moan when he cupped my sex roughly, and I knew he could feel the heat and wetness.

He growled lowly, and pulled me away from the car. Still in a daze, I let out a gasp when he suddenly slung me over his shoulders, before he walked away.

“Wh – Where are you taking me?” I asked, as I felt one of his hands rub my calf. He reached up and squeezed my butt, and I moaned.

“Somewhere private,” Derek replied, walking into the dark forest.  _Ooh_ . I liked where this was going. I could feel my jeans get wet at the thought of Derek going at me…  _on_ me…  **_in_ ** me… in the forest. As he walked, his shoulders moved, and I could feel the seam of my jeans rub me right where I wanted him.

My body felt like jelly, and I couldn’t help but lean forward, rubbing my face into Derek’s back. I still hadn’t bitten him yet, so I might was well rub my scent on him. Then an idea struck me and I grinned mischievously.

I lifted up Derek’s shirt, and I could practically see him furrowing his brows in confusion. I felt my fangs elongating slightly, and I lightly bit down into Derek’s smooth, hard back. He stumbled slightly, and I grinned before licking his skin.

All of a sudden, I was roughly thrown down on the green grass of the forest, and Derek was hovering above me on all fours. I looked up at him, teasing look still on my face.

I leaned up, and licked at his scruffy cheek like a puppy. He looked down at me with an unreadable expression, which softened before asking, “How is it possible that you’re so sexy yet so endearing at the same time?”

He leaned down, capturing my lips with his, and my heart wanted to explode at the spine-chilling, toe-curling kiss he gave me. It filled me with the love and affection he had for me, and I realized that I never needed Derek to tell me how much he loved me. It showed through his actions.

Most girls found it slightly down putting when they said, “I love you,” but all the guy would say is, “I know,” but to me, it showed that Derek was acknowledging my feelings for him, and in a way, saying it in his own way. After all, he was a man of action.

I threw my arms over his neck and pulled him down, pressing my body against him. I tugged at the end of his long-sleeve shirt, and he pulled back briefly so I could take it off, before pressing himself against me again, capturing my lips.

His lips moved skillfully against mine, and his beard rubbed against my chin, tickling me and turning me on at the same time. I wrapped my legs around his hips, and rubbed my crotch against his, and let out a moan when he gave me a particular rough thrust,  _right_ where I wanted him.

Derek’s hands went to the hem of my shirt, and slowly pulled it up, making sure his nails were dragging along my skin. I pulled back briefly, and raised my arms, allowing him to take off my shirt. He placed his lips back on me, slipping his tongue into my mouth.

I moaned against his moan, pressing my bare breasts against his rock hard chest. I could feel my nipples tighten from the cold air and from me being so turned on. “Shit,” Derek cursed against my lips, before rolling over so I was on top. He slid his tongue into my mouth, and it danced with my tongue.

My hair made a curtain around us, and Derek’s rough hands ran along my smooth body as we continued to kiss. I rubbed my tongue against his, loving the taste of him inside my mouth. Whether it was his tongue, his dick, or any part of him, I loved it. His hands continued to rub the small of my back, my back, my shoulder blades, my stomach, before finally stopping at my breasts, where he engulfed them with his hands and squeezed.

In response to that, I spread my hands flat over his chest, before rubbing up and down his pecs, feeling his taunt, strong muscles.  _Mhm_ , I was such a lucky girl. I pulled away from Derek’s lips, and a small strand of saliva connected us, leaving evidence of what we were engaged in earlier.

I angled my head, so I was able to kiss and nip his scruffy jaw, before trailing down. My nose rubbed against his scruff, and I made sure to nuzzle it before kissing down his neck, and descending to his chest. I made sure to give his chest a nice, strong lick, which earned me a nice rumble from him.

I smiled against his skin, before wrapping my lips around his left nipple. I kissed the tip of it before swirling my tongue around it, and bit down gently on it. He groaned and buckled his hips, and I hissed out in pleasure when his bulge hit my core. I made my way across his chest, and did the same to his other nipple, earning the same response.

Derek flipped me over, and he growled lowly in the back of his throat. I let out a gasp and he grabbed my breasts, squeezing them. He bent down, and engulfed one into his mouth, suckling it like a newborn. I arched my back, running my hands through Derek’s short, dark locks.

One of his hands grabbed my jean clad legs, and ran up my right leg, gently caressing the limb before reaching my thigh. He squeezed my inner thigh gently, and I moaned again, slinging my leg over his hip.

Derek dug himself into my covered core, and I moaned, rubbing against him sensually. His mouth circled around my other breast, and his right hand took over the breast his mouth just left behind. With his free hand, he moved his fingers, scraping it so it could reach between my thighs.

He let out a hiss against my breast, and he pulled back, giving the boob one last, strong lick with his rough tongue.

“I can feel how wet you are through your jeans,” Derek said huskily, rubbing his cheek against mine. As I was sensitive  _everywhere_ , a pleasured sigh escaped from my throat. He ran his finger up and down the seam of my jeans, and my eyes flew open in shock when he pressed where my clit was…  _hard_ .

“ _Ah_ !” I exclaimed, arching my back. Derek’s eyes flashed red and an evil smirk appeared on his face. Suddenly, I was actually kind of scared, yet also excited for what he had planned.

“Wh – What are you going to do?” I gasped out.

Derek’s lips curled and he didn’t respond. Well… not verbally, at least.

He dived down, all but  _mauling_ at my breast, biting, sucking, licking, nipping, at the gland. He began to rub and pinch at my clit through my jeans and I whimpered, a throaty, squeaky sound coming from me. I threw my head back, and gripped Derek’s hair roughly, eliciting a growl from him, which only served to make me grow wetter.

“Oh  _Derek_ !” I cried out, squeezing my eyes so tightly that tears started to build up. Was I seriously going to come without penetration?

“That’s it, Sindy,” Derek encouraged from my chest. “Come. Come  _right now_ .” He worked me harder and faster, making me shudder and shake against him. The coil inside me started to get tighter and tighter, and with a final bite on my nipple from Derek, I came undone underneath him. I could feel myself completely soak through my jeans, smell the change of scent in the air, and cried out loudly, my voice echoing through the empty wilderness.

I could hear the fluttering of some birds that were startled awake, and they began to chirp loudly, flying away from the area. I came down from my high, and slumped on the grass-covered earth. I breathed heavily, my chest moving up and down. Derek kneeled over my satisfied body, smirking down at me.

“Wipe that smug smirk off your face,” I panted out, throwing my arm over my eyes. “You owe me a new pair of  _jeans_ . I’ve heard of ruining panties, but I didn’t think you’d ruin my  _pants_ .”

Derek chuckled darkly and deeply, and I peeked out from under my arm. My  _God_ , he was beautiful. The moonlight shone against his bare, strong, smooth chest, with the trees acting as shadows to add a deep, dark, sexy mysterious look.  _Aaaaaaaannnnnnd_ I wanted him again.

He traced a finger against the seam of my jeans, and I shuddered under his light, but because of my hyper-sensitivity, I felt  _every_ tingling touch he left. “You’re so beautiful…” he murmured softly, looking down at me with deep, verdant eyes. I returned the look with equal passion, still breathing heavily.

Without any warning, his eyes glowed red, and then I felt him  _tear_ through my jeans, and the cool night breeze hit my sensitive, lower lips. Did he just…? Oh my God. “You ripped my jeans!” I cried out.

“Easier access,” Derek replied. He knelt up to his full height, and began to work on the button. My astonishment was now gone, and I watched his lithe fingers work the button and zipper easily, before tugging the dark jeans, along with his boxers, down. He stood at full attention, and I licked my lips in anticipation, seeing the mushroom tip dripping with white liquid, ready for me.

“ _Mhm_ …” I moaned out, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. “If you hurry it up, I’ll forgive you for ripping my jeans.”

Derek quirked an eyebrow at me, the corner of his lips twitching. He adjusted my legs so they were bent at the knees, with my feet firmly planted on the ground. He spread my legs, and I felt the cool, winter breeze hit my entrance. I shivered at the feeling, and Derek grinned.

He adjusted himself so he was sitting in between my legs, and he rubbed his tip against my slit, up and down, spreading my wetness. Well, it was already everywhere, but even more so. “You’re always so wet,” he groaned, he dipped his tip in and I let out another moan.

“Only for you,” I replied.

“That’s it,” he nodded. “Only for me, because you’re  _mine_ .” He sensually rubbed me up and down, and just when I was going to tell him to hurry it up, he all but slammed right into me easily because of my lubrication.

Our moans mixed together in the air, and Derek set up a quick, hard, fast pace: in, out, in, out, in, out. The quiet night was disturbed by the sounds of our love-making, which consisted of a symphony of Derek and my groans, and the sound of our skin slapping together.

_God_ he felt so good. He gripped my hips tightly, keeping me steady as he moved at a furious pace. I screamed beneath him, arching my back as I felt every ridge of him inside me as I tightened around him, getting closer and closer to my orgasm.

I gasped sharply, and Derek spread his hands on my flat stomach. I moaned and spread my legs wider, allowing me to accommodate him more. He continued to thrust in and out of me, the speed assisted by my natural lubrication. He shifted his angle, and I squealed when he hit a particular spot inside of me.

I moaned loudly, and his hands moved up to grasp my breasts as I arched my back. He swiveled his hips and I groaned, making incoherent noises beneath him. He continued to pound into me, and the pit feeling in my stomach continue to grow. One of his hands released my breast, and he trailed a claw hand down my body, past my jeans, and right where my clit was. He began to rub it in circles, alongside his thrusting.

“Agh, Derek!” I cried out. I reached up, grabbing the wrist that was squeezing my right breast. He palmed my breast, circled my clit, and thrust in and out of me, groaning my name softly under his breath. My toes curled in my shoes, and I cried out, throwing my chest forward as I came around him, squeezing him tightly.

His pace slowed, but didn’t cease as I came down from my high, and I shook slightly at how sensitive I was. I took in heavy breaths and looked up at Derek, who had placed his hands back on my hips. He continued to move in and out of me, but at a more languid pace.

I got onto my elbows, before pulling myself up. He slipped out of me, and I grasped the side of his head, kissing him with all the passion I could muster. I pushed him gently, and he leaned back against the forest ground without any complaint. I turned around so my back was to his chest, and straddled his hips, before reaching down to grab at his base. I was surprised to feel how wet he was, and couldn’t help but think that it was all from  _me_ . Jeez, I could probably fill an entire tub.

I knelt above him, and rubbed him against my entrance, causing the two of us to moan together. I then sunk down on him slowly, and once I was situated on top of him, I moved. As it was my first time above him, he guided me gently with his hands on my hips, and I placed my hands on his knees to keep myself steady.

I bounced on top of him, and was amazed at how deep he penetrated me.  _Ooh_ , we were definitely doing this again. “Ah!” I cried out, bucking against him. Derek gave a sharp thrust, and I moaned like a porn star, crying out, “ _Yes_ !”

Derek’s hands snaked up my body, grabbing and pulling at my bouncing breasts before trailing down my sides. I sighed at his gentle caresses, and moved above him in even, rhythmic bounces.

I then leaned forward, placing my palms flat on the cool earth. I sighed and gasped out sounds of pleasure, as Derek continued to hit a particular spot inside of me.

Speaking of Derek, because I had moved, his hands had went back to my hips. Then, I felt his hands move, and he grabbed handfuls of my butt, before squeezing tightly. I arched my back, and my nails dug into the dirt, ripping up the grass that was below us.

Derek continued to move inside me rhythmically – pound, in, out, pound, in, out – right where I wanted him. My breathing became irregular and I reached up, squeezing one of my breasts as I continued to grind and bounce, all while he continued to massage and run his blunt nails against my jean-clad ass. Man, I wish he tore up my pants.

I felt his hands move closer to the center, and I gasped sharply at the feel of the pad of his finger running up and down my unmentionable hole, lubricated heavily by my juices. I tensed, but was soon eased by Derek’s calming, “Relax.”

The muscles around me softened, except my lower hole, which only tightened as he circled the hole that up until just now that I believed was just a firm exit. “That’s it…” Derek muttered.

He reached down to where we were connected, and I cried out his name when he played with my outer folds briefly. He began to stroke my perineum, and I shuddered above him, gripping the dirt below me tightly.

As I was getting closer and closer to my orgasm, my bouncing became irregular, so Derek helped me out by giving quick, rough thrusts, which caused me to cry out, snapping my head back. He pounded into me from beneath me and I was amazed by just how much my body bent to his will, even when I was on top of him.

He groaned in his throat as I tightened around him, and he worked me harder and faster. I wasn’t even make coherent  _noises_ at this point, as I would be abruptly cut off by his thrusts or the way his hand would press down my perineum.

Then, I felt a breeze against the sweaty skin of my ass, and knew he had ripped up my jeans. His left hand grabbed my butt cheek firmly and I arched my back into his touch with a low, drawn out whimper.

I felt the pad of his thumb rub my other hole, before wiggling in the tip. I moaned at the sensation, feeling incredibly filled, and Derek growled beneath me. His thrusts became harder and more erratic, and I wasn’t even sure I was breathing at this point.

As he wiggled his thumb, squeezed my cheek, and thrust in and out of me, the sensation became far too much. I collapsed forward, and Derek easily pulled out. I whimpered at the loss, but soon found it short lived as he forced me on all fours, getting on his knees, and thrusting back inside me.

I whimpered and mewed beneath him, gripping the dirt as I could feel my nails elongating. He growled above me, working both my lower holes and his left hand went up to ghost where he had bitten me – where his mark was.

Then, he gave one particular rough thrust as he pressed down on my skin, and pushed his thumb all the way inside me, and I came undone. I cried out loudly, the sound echoing in the forest as I squeezed him tightly, coming undone beneath him.

He removed his finger from me, and steadied his hands on my hips. He worked himself into a frenzy above me, and I arched my back, coming down from my high as he met his. He let out a loud roar, and I winced slightly when his claws dug into my sides, releasing inside of me.

I collapsed onto the ground, exhausted, as he thrust languidly inside me, riding out his orgasm. Once he was finished, he collapsed on top of me, and I panted heavily.

“Jeez!” I exclaimed, letting out a breathless laugh. “Wild forest sex is hot. Can we do it again?” I turned my head, nuzzling into the crook of Derek’s neck.

He chuckled, his chest rumbling against my back. Surprisingly, he actually gave me a small  _lick_ on the side of my head, before kissing it softly. “Anything for you.”


	29. Tensions Build

**TUESDAY  
** **MARCH 8, 2011**

“You can’t be serious,” I said, crossing my arms.

My mate looked at me from across the room with a blank expression. Well, almost blank. He had a quirked eyebrow. “Do I joke?”

“Occasionally, yeah, you do, actually,” I admitted, standing up from where I sat. “But honestly, isn’t there a  _better_ way to approach this?”

I made sure I was striding over to him, with an extra flare in my hips. Derek definitely noticed, by the way he turned and looked at me up and down.

I placed my hands over his chest and looked up at him through my lashes. “You can’t just kidnap and force teenagers to test the poison.”

After our not-so-quick romp in the forest last night, Derek had carried me to his car and handed me a spare t-shirt.

My jeans were  _completely_ ruined, and my tank-top didn’t hide it. At least the t-shirt he had looked like a dress on me, so I was stuck wearing just a giant t-shirt from Derek.

But anyway, Derek went back to the pool, and found some of the Kanima’s poison. Now, he had this insane idea that whoever was the Kanima was immune to the poison, and he was going to test it out directly.

“You don’t even like Jackson,” Derek breathed out through his nose, snaking his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against him.

“I don’t,” I admitted, nodding my head briefly. “But still…” I slid my hand up his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath his shirt briefly. I pressed my chest to him, causing him to look down from my eyes briefly. If it was something I learned in this past week, it was that Derek had a thing for my boobs. Which was quite fine by me on my part.

He caught my hand before it could reach his neck, bending down to whisper in my ear, “If you don’t like it, then leave.”

I pursed my lips. “What are you going to do if he fails the test?”

“Then I kill him,” Derek said simply, like it was the easiest answer in the world. I pulled back, furrowing my eyebrows. “Sindy, if he  _is_ the Kanima, he’s dangerous. We need to kill him when he's at his weakest.”

I looked up at him, frowning slightly. “Derek…”

Derek’s eyes flashed red and he simply sat down on one of the empty, but sturdy crates. “You’re welcome to leave any time, Sindy. I won’t stop you. But I’m just letting you know, stay out of our way.”

We were interrupted by a loud crash and I could smell Isaac opening the door. He walked down the steps first, followed by Erica, who was holding on to a struggling Jackson.

I stepped aside, crossing my arms over my chest. If it got too violent, I’d step in and cool Derek down. If I couldn’t do that, then I’ll just have to take out Isaac and Erica, and hopefully deal with Derek.

“What happened to you on the night of the full moon?” Derek asked, grabbing the broken mirror piece. He was careful to avoid the poison, and kept his eyes focused on the object.

“What?” Jackson panted. “Nothing. Nothing happened.”

Derek simply looked up and said, “You’re lying.” He carefully placed the glass to the side and slipped on black, leather gloves.

“Wait,” Jackson protested, struggling against Isaac and Erica’s grips. “I – I – I can prove it!” Derek gave him a look that told him to continue. “I taped myself.”

Against my will, the corner of my lips twitched.  _Wow_ . Jackson… Jackson sure was something.

“You taped yourself?” Isaac inquired, cocking his head to the side. Ever since getting the bite, it seems as though both Erica and Isaac went through personality changes, as well. Boyd was still the same as ever, and so was I.

Maybe one out of every two werewolves made got personality changes. I know Scott became a Drama Queen. Isaac gained this new found confidence and practically  _strutted_ every time he walked. Erica… she got bolder and sexier.

“Yes,” Jackson admitted, turning to look at the curly-haired boy. “It was the full moon. And maybe while you were curled in the corner having an existential crisis about turning into a monster, I was preparing for the so-called  _gift_ your big, bad Alpha promised me, and what did I get? Nothing. You want proof? Let me get the video.”

Derek pretended to look thoughtful for a minute before clicking his tongue. “No,” he said. He took the glass and it reflected against the dim lighting. “No. I have a better idea.”

“What is that?” Jackson got out before he was forced on his knees. I tensed and my nails transformed into claws.

Derek gave me a pointed look and said, “Relax, Sindy. I’m not going to hurt him, so stand down.” I glanced up at my mate, and he gave me a small, sarcastic smile. I furrowed my brows, but relaxed slightly, my claws growing blunter before they were regular human nails.

Derek pushed himself off from the crate and stalked towards Jackson ominously. “You know, Jackson, you’ve always been kind of a snake,” he said, as Isaac forced the lacrosse co-captain’s mouth open. Derek hovered the tip of the mirror over Jackson’s mouth and continued, “And everyone knows a snake can’t be poisoned by its own venom.”

I could see the venom drip into Jackson’s mouth and the two young Betas released him. Jackson choked on the venom for a couple seconds on the ground, and was then frozen.

Derek let out an exasperated sigh, approaching Jackson’s slumped body. “You’re still a snake, Jackson. Just not the one we’re looking for.”

He began to walk away, and I followed him into the subway car, blocking out whatever Isaac was telling Jackson.

“Are you going to go after Lydia next?” I demanded, shutting the door behind me. Even though it was pointless, it still created  _some_ form of barrier between us and the two other Betas.

“She’s the last one that was bitten,” Derek simply replied, sitting down in a seat, taking off his gloves. I frowned and Derek cocked his head at me. He exhaled deeply, before getting up to his feet.

He approached me in slow, deliberate steps. “Hey,” he said gently, crooking a finger under my chin so I’d look up at him. “I’m doing this to protect us all… to protect  _you_ .”

“I know that,” I said, avoiding his eyes. “But what if Lydia doesn’t pass?”

“We kill her,” Derek said simply.

I frowned. There was absolutely  _no_ way I could go through with that. “But... But she doesn’t even know.”

“I’ll make it swift and painless,” Derek amended.

I shook my head, taking a step back from Derek. “I can’t let you go through with that. I can stand aside and let you test her, but I absolutely  **won’t** let you kill her.”

Derek growled lowly, his eyes flashing red. “If she  _is_ the Kanima, Sindy. She  **has** to die. I’m not going to risk you getting hurt.”

“Then don’t!” I exclaimed. “We’ll find another way to take the thing down!”

“No,” Derek stubbornly refused to give in. “Why can’t you understand that I’m doing this for  _you_ ?”

“I  _understand_ , Derek!” I exclaimed. “But it’s  _not_ the right way! You can’t just kill anyone that poses a threat to us! I’m not gonna stand by and let you do that!”

Derek’s eyes flashed a red and I shivered, but out of fear, for the very first time. “Then stay out of my way, Sindy. Mate or not, I’m not going to let you stop me.”

I pursed my lips and glared back up at him, sure my eyes were flashing a defiant amber. “Fine,” I said curtly. “Don’t give me a  **reason** to get in your way, and we’ll be fine. I’m leaving.”

I stomped off, all but sliding the door open. It slammed against the side loudly, echoing off the walls. Both Isaac and Erica looked at me, but quickly turned away, realizing I wasn’t in the mood for any quirky comments.

I realized I was pretty much throwing a temper tantrum, stomping my feet and slamming doors, but I had to express I was angry  _somehow_ **without** ripping going for my boyfriend’s jugular. See, Derek?  **That’s** how you handle things.

I left the area, climbing into my car. I was thankful I had chosen to drive today and my tires squealed loudly against the pavement before I took off, heading home.

**WEDNESDAY  
** **MARCH 9, 2011**

“‘Sup,” Stiles said, approaching Scott and I, who were briefly discussing history homework.

Instead of going directly home yesterday after going to Derek, I had driven straight to Scott’s house. There, I was able to find my brother and best friend, and began to rant angrily.

It didn’t really make sense to most people, but to Scott and Stiles – who had been with me since birth (one literally) – they were able to fairly understand it. All in all, Scott was able to get information about Derek’s plans and Stiles was glad that he wasn’t torn between his best friend and twin sister now.

But anyways, back to the point: Scott and I made up. I still wasn’t happy about Allison, but he wasn’t happy about Derek, so whatever. They cancelled each other out.

“So… what are we going to do about Isaac?” Stiles asked, looking at the curly-haired boy, who was now back in class, since Jackson had cleared his name. It was a heads up I had given the boys yesterday.

“I don’t know,” Scott shook his head. He looked at me.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, either. What makes you think I do?”

“Why couldn’t you have left  _after_ finding out what Derek was going to do?”

“Because I was more concerned about the fact that my boyfriend would be willing to take out even  _me_ in order to take out whoever the Kanima is – who he’s thinking is Lydia?” I quipped.

We got up from our seats, deciding to head to our next class. “Alright,” Stiles said, looking at the two of us. “I only found one thing online about the Kanima. It’s a werejaguar from South America that goes after murderers.”

“That thing was not a jaguar,” Scott pointed out.

“Yeah, and I’m not exactly a murderer,” Stiles added.

“Yeah, but you did see it kill somebody, which is probably why it tried to kill you,” Scott reasoned.

“Guilty by association,” I suggested.

“And it’s still trying to kill you, and it probably won’t stop until you’re dead,” Scott added his own two cents.

“You know, sometimes I really begin to question this ‘friendship.’” Stiles used air quotes to describe the relationship. “And you, Sindy? I was expecting more from my sister that I’ve shared a womb with. I mean, c’mon! Before we got our own rooms, we shared rooms. We were literally roommates. And before  _that_ , we were  _womb_ mates.”

“… Did you just say  _wombmates_ ?” I asked, incredulous. Only my twin brother, everyone. “Please don’t use that word ever again.”

“I thought it was quite brilliant,” Stiles shrugged as we walked into Econ. I took a seat behind Stiles, while Scott took one to the left of Stiles. “What page is the material on again?”

“Page seventy-nine,” I supplied, turning to the page so I could study for the upcoming midterm as well.

It was then Jackson came walking in, taking a seat next to me and behind Scott. “Hey, testicle left and right,” he addressed my brother and best friend. I could see the two boys look up from their work, annoyed. I threw Jackson my own look of annoyance as well, but he ignored me. “What the hell is a Kanima?” Jackson continued.

I turned to him in shock. While we  _did_ – okay, Derek, Isaac, and Erica did – “interrogate” Jackson yesterday, we most  **definitely** did not let it slip out any  _mention_ of the Kanima.

Stiles and Scott turned to look at Jackson in astonishment, before turning to me. Scott opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Coach Finstock slamming a book on his desk.

“Alright, listen up!” he called. “A quick warning before we begin our review. Some of you, like McCall, might want to start their own study groups, because tomorrow’s midterm is so  _profoundly_ difficult… I’m not even too sure  _I_ could pass it.” Thanks, Coach.  _Thanks_ .

“Paralyzed,” Jackson addressed. “From the neck down. Do you have  _any_ idea what that feels like?” He glared at me before turning back to the two boys.

“I’m familiar with the sensation,” Stiles admitted.

“Wait… why  _would_ Derek test you? Why would he think that it’s you?” Scott inquired. With all the information I had given him yesterday, I think he was too focused on the fact that Derek was going after  _Lydia_ than  _why_ Jackson was picked.

“How should I know?” Jackson lied.

“Wait, they think it’s Lydia, right?” Stiles looked at me. I nodded.

“I don’t know,” Jackson replied. “All I heard was her name and something about chemistry.”

“Jackson!” Coach snapped. “Do you have something you want to share with the rest of the class?”

“Um… just an undying admiration for my – my coach,” Jackson bullshitted.

Coach Finstock gave the ex-star player a smile. “That’s really kind of you.” Jackson gave a small, flattering look, and Coach’s eyes hardened. “Now shut up!”

I disguised my laugh as a cough and watched as Scott pull Stiles almost out of his seat. “How do we know it’s not her?” Scott inquired.

“Because I looked into the eyes of that thing, okay?” Stiles admitted. “And what I saw was  _pure_ evil. And when I look into Lydia’s eyes, I only see  _fifty_ percent evil.” I gave him a deadpan look from behind, just  _knowing_ he was able to feel it. “Okay, alright, maybe sixty,” he amended. “But no more than forty on a good day.”

“Stiles,” Scott said gently. “That’s not a very good argument.”

I leaned forward in my seat and reached for my brother’s back, patting it softly. “And if you can’t even convince  _Scott_ , then you have no chance of convincing Derek.”

Stiles sighed heavily. “I’m aware of that, but I swear it’s not her. It can’t be, alright?”

I heard some furious scribbling from the blackboard, and glanced up. All of a sudden, Lydia began to shake and cry, shutting her eyes tightly.

“Anybody else wanna try answering?” Finstock looked at all of us. “This time in English?”

“What is that, Greek?” Scott looked at Stiles and me. I shrugged.

“No, actually,” Stiles said, showing us his phone. “I think it  _is_ English.” He had taken a picture of the blackboard, and then flipped the picture, revealing the words:  _SOMEBODY HELP ME_ .

The rest of Econ passed by uneventfully, and soon, it was time for chemistry. I had a feeling Scott didn’t fully trust me just yet, but Stiles did, but he went along with Scott because… that’s how he’s always been.

I pursed my lips and took a seat near the window, while they grabbed seats next to Lydia. I noticed Isaac and Erica exchange annoyed looks before settling to sit in the lab table behind them. Isaac gave me a small smirk in greeting, but otherwise said nothing else.

“Einstein once said,” Harris announced, walking around. “‘Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; And I’m not sure about the universe.’ I, myself, have encountered  _infinite_ stupidity.” He patted my brother’s shoulder, much to my and Stiles’s annoyance.

Contrary to popular belief, my brother was  _not_ an idiot. Yes, he’s a spaz. Yes, he has ADHD. But he is  _not_ stupid. He’s actually a straight-A student with a 4.0 GPA. It wasn’t by any means a 5.0 like Lydia’s, but it was still well-above average.

“So to combat the plague of ignorance in my class, you’re going to combine efforts through a round of group experiments. Let’s see if two heads are indeed better than one. Or in Mr. Stilinski’s case, less than one. Erica, you take the first station. You’ll start with–” Practically every male (and a couple female) hands shot up. “I didn’t ask for volunteers. Put your  _hormonal_ little hands down. Start with Mr. McCall. Alright, next two…” he began to list off everyone’s names, and I tuned him out, until I heard my name. “Sindy with Mr. Lahey.”

Isaac moved so he was sitting at my station and gave me a small smile. “So,” he said, leaning into me to talk to me quietly, “when are you gonna come back?”

“What do you mean?” I inquired, reaching for the tube of chemicals. I poured it into the beaker and swirled it.

“After you left, Derek got into a  _really_ bad mood,” Isaac informed me. “And I mean  _really_ bad. I think I broke half my bones from that training he forced on us.”

I scoffed quietly under my breath. “Are you going to still kill Lydia?”

“If she’s the Kanima, yeah.”

“Then be prepared to break the other half of your bones,” I simply replied, finishing up the beginning of the experiment without any help from Isaac.

“Switch,” Mr. Harris announced.

Isaac looked at me with a groan and I simply smiled, patting the back of his hand. There was  _no way_ in hell I was going to go back to Derek if he was going to plan to kill Lydia – psychopathic Kanima or not.

Allison slid into the seat next to me, and we began to quietly work. I perked up, however, when I heard my brother sigh exasperatedly. I shifted my eyes to where he was, and saw Isaac sitting right next to him.  _Oh boy_ .

As I worked on the experiment, I could hear Stiles threatening, “If you harm  _one_ perfect strawberry-blonde hair on her head, I’m gonna turn your little werewolf ass into a fur coat and give it to her as a birthday present.”

“Really?” Isaac drawled. “I’ve never actually been to one of her big, invite-only birthday parties… I did ask her out once, though.”

“Sounds like the beginning to a heartfelt story,” Stiles quipped. “I’m gonna pass, thanks.”

“It was the first day of freshman year…” Isaac sighed out.

“And you thought everything was gonna be different for you in high school, but she said no.” Oh, my brother was well-aware of that scenario. Except, he stumbled and messed up before he could even get a  _word_ into Lydia.

“Yeah,” Isaac agreed. “Yeah, she even laughed. Told me to come back when the bike I rode to school had an engine, not a chain.”

“Mhm, unrequited love’s a bitch. Maybe you should write about it in English class, y’know?” Stiles suggested. “ _Channel_ all that negative energy.”

Isaac pretended to look thoughtful for a second before shaking his head. “Nah, I was thinking I’d channel it into killing her.” Stiles looked at Isaac in disbelief. “I’m not very good at writing,” the werewolf amended.

My brother always had me laughing at the most inappropriate times. I chuckled under my breath, making Allison look at me strangely.

“Should you really be laughing at this time?” she asked me. I knew it wasn’t appropriate, given the timing, but I shrugged and looked outside the window, just as Harris ordered everyone to switch.

My eyes immediately fell on the dark figure that stood at the end of the parking lot. I had known Derek was already there, but didn’t bother acknowledging him.

He looked up at me, and my smile dropped from my face. He looked at me impassively, giving away no emotion. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and found it difficult to breathe.

“Sindy,” a voice said, making me turn to whoever my new partner was. Danny was looking at me, face with slight concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I responded curtly. I moved to continue the experiment, and I was glad Danny was my partner, because I absolutely couldn’t focus. Not with the fact that my instincts had acknowledged Derek.

“Time,” Harris announced. “If you’ve catalyzed the reaction correctly, you should now be looking at a crystal. Now… for the part of that last experiment, I’m sure you’ll all enjoy: You can eat it.”

Danny picked out the crystal, which resembled clear rock candy. “Uh…” he said, looking at it. “Pretty sure you did it right, but do you really wanna eat it?” 

“Not particularly,” I grimaced. Though I looked forward to eating sugar, I didn’t really want to eat what I made in _chemistry_. I looked at the tubes of liquids and frowned. “Yeah. Definitely good.”

“Lydia!” Scott suddenly exclaimed, standing up. We all turned to him, before I whipped my head to the strawberry blonde.

She was holding the crystal, and I looked closely. There was poison on it. She placed it in her mouth, and chewed it quietly. I snapped my head to look outside the window.

Derek looked thoughtful, gave me one last look, before climbing into his Camaro and driving away.

I pursed my lips, and looked down at my desk. I glanced at Scott, who at the second the bell rang, scrambled out of the classroom with Allison and Stiles. Before leaving, my brother gave me one last look, and I shook my head.

Obviously, I wasn’t a part of this plan.

He mouthed a small, “Sorry,” before leaving. I silently packed up my bags, eyes trained on Isaac and Erica, who approached me as I left the classroom.

“You still smell like Derek,” Isaac informed me. “So you’re still a member of our pack. I’m pretty sure if you just apologized to Derek, he’d welcome you back with open arms.”

“Is that what this is about?” I inquired dryly. “Well, you two can carry on and roll over on your back, then.”

“Haven’t you done that already?” Erica commented.

I grabbed the girl and pinned her to the lockers roughly. The sound echoed through the hallways, and a few students turned, but I kept my eyes trained on Erica, giving a small, warning growl to Isaac, who attempted to come closer.

“Don’t test my patience, Erica,” I seethed, pushing the taller girl further up the lockers. “I might like you and Isaac, but if you touch my brother, you can best believe  _I’ll_ be the one taking you out.”

I released the girl, and she took a step back. The two Betas looked at me and Isaac asked, “So you’re going to abandon your pack?”

"I’m  _not_ abandoning  _anyone_ ,” I retorted. “It’s not right for you all to plan to  _kill_ Lydia. It’s a simple disagreement that I’m willing to stay out of… but as long as my brother’s involve, I  **will** be sticking by  _his_ side. So just take my warning and  **back** the  **fuck** off.”

I slung my bag over my shoulder and stomped away, leaving Isaac and Erica to look at my retreating back.


	30. Fight

**WEDNESDAY  
** **MARCH 9, 2011**

Well, Scott, Stiles, Allison, Jackson, and Lydia were completely gone.

I couldn’t smell or detect their presences anywhere in the hallways. They totally ditched school during lunch. Well, the latter four did. I was sure Scott was on campus, based on his frantic footsteps I heard while I sat in French.

My phone rang harshly just as I got into my car. I looked down at the device, and saw it was my brother calling.

“Stiles?” I inquired. “Where are you?”

_“That’s the thing…”_ Stiles said, his voice almost shaking.  _“We’re at Scott’s house. With Lydia. And Jackson. We – as in, Allison and me. But anyway, do you think you could come down here? Because… Derek’s_ right outside _and if there’s a fight, only Allison can actually_ do _something.”_

I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath. So I really  _was_ going to have to fight my pack, huh?

“I’ll be there,” I promised. “Don’t let anyone in.”

_“It’s not like I really have a choice,”_ Stiles quipped.  _“Sindy…?”_

“Yeah?” I asked, pulling out of my parking spot with ease.

_“Thanks. I know how hard this must be for you. To… go against your pack and all.”_

“There really wasn’t a choice to make,” I replied, pressing on the gas. I watched as the speedometer go past the legal speed, and made an abrupt turn. “I’ll see you in a bit, Stiles.”

I hung up, and tossed the phone into the passenger seat, focusing on the road before me. Instead of the usual fifteen minutes it took me to drive to Scott’s house, it only took be eight.

I skidded to a stop right in front of Stiles’s jeep, in front of Scott’s house. The sun was already setting, and I popped open the door. My eyes made contact with my pack, who were standing right across from Scott’s house.

None of them moved, and I kept my eyes on them as I shut the door to my car. Derek’s eyes flashed red, but he simply crossed his arms, eyes trained on me.

I was completely sure that they wouldn’t attack me. Derek wouldn’t attack me unless I was right in front of his face, in his way. I wasn’t going to be naïve and say he’d never hurt me.

No. To know how to fend for oneself, one had to get hurt. Derek taught me that. He wasn’t going to show anyone mercy. I might be special to him (at least, I hope I was), but at the very least, he’d find a way to take me out as quickly and painless as possible.

I turned to walk up the stairs to Scott’s place, and the door swung open quickly. Stiles pulled me in and slammed the door shut, bolting and locking it.

“That’s not going to keep them out,” I pointed out.

“I’m well aware of that,” Stiles quipped. I heard a small tap, and the two of us turned. Allison had her phone out. “What are you doing?” Stiles demanded.

"I think…” Allison exhaled. “I think I have to call my dad.”

“But if he finds you her, you and Scott–”

“I know,” Allison cut him off, sniffling. “But what are we supposed to do? They’re not here to  _scare_ us, okay? They’re here to  _kill_ Lydia.”

“You won’t have to call him,” I said, reaching for her phone. I wrapped my hand around hers, and she looked down at me, confused. “They’re not going to touch Lydia, either.”

“How can you guarantee that?” Allison asked. “How can you say that Derek won’t kill you, too, for getting in his way?”

“Because I love him,” I declared. “And he loves me. I’m not going to be stupid and say he  _won’t_ hurt me. He will, if it comes down to it. In fact, he’ll probably grab me, we’ll roll round, and he’ll knock me unconscious somehow. But he  **won’t** kill me, Allison. You and Scott and Stiles have this warped idea that Derek is some psychopath or deranged murderer, but he’s  **not** . He’s doing this to  _protect_ me… to protect  _us_ .” I looked outside the window, and from the look in his eyes, I could tell he could hear everything.

“I…” Allison stumbled out. “I didn’t know…” She looked down at me in understanding, and that was then I realized that whatever infatuation I thought Scott had with Allison and vice versa. It wasn’t an infatuation. It was actual love, and I’d be damned to say that it could give Derek and me a run for our money.

I smiled stiffly. “Not many people do.”

“I’m sure in any other case scenario, I’d be happy and all you found the love of your life, but as of right now,  _said_ love of your life is planning to  _kill_ Lydia,” Stiles interrupted. Then his face brightened as an idea popped into his head. “I got an idea,” he announced.  _Yeah,_ I realized that. “Just shoot one of ‘em.”

_Annnnndddd_ the “Stupidest Idea Ever” Award goes to Stiles Stilinski, everybody.

“Are you serious?” Allison asked in disbelief.

“We told Scott we could protect ourselves, so let’s do it,” Stiles said. “Or at least give it a shot, right?”

“Okay,” Allison breathed out.

“Look, they don’t think we’re gonna fight, so if one of them gets hit, I guarantee they’ll take off,” Stiles said. “So just shoot one of ‘em.”

“Which one?”

“Uh…” Stiles looked out the window. “Derek. Yeah, shoot him. Preferably in the head. Sorry, Sindy.” I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. Derek was  _not_ going to get hit.

“If Scott was able to catch an arrow, Derek definitely can,” Allison replied. Wait…  _what_ ? Actually, I don’t want to know.

The air changed, and I took in a breath. I knew this scent…

“Okay, uh, just shoot one of the other three, then,” Stiles suggested.

“You mean two.”

“No, I mean three,” I could hear him rustle with the curtain. “Where the hell is Isaac?” I turned my back to Allison and Stiles and let out a roar, as Isaac came charging towards us.

I jumped out of his way, dodging his attack, and watched as he pushed Allison and Stiles aside. I ran towards Isaac, and he growled, teeth bared right at me. I let out a growl of my own, and tossed him to the ground.

He hit one of the decorative tables, and a vase fell to the ground. He moved to grab Stiles, but I launched myself at the taller boy, dragging him up and throwing him into the living room.

“Get out, Stiles!” I ordered. Isaac charged at me, launching himself off one of the walls and I leaned back so I did a bridge, dodging his attack.

I got back onto my feet and slashed upward, scratching through his shirt and drawing blood. Isaac roared in pain before blindly scratching towards me, which I dodged by jumping off to the side.

He latched himself onto me, and we scuffled across the floor. My head banged against a table and I heard a lamp crash to the floor. I wrapped my legs around Isaac’s waist and flipped him over, before pushing him away from me.

_“Stiles, Sindy!”_ I heard Allison call from the second floor.  _“It’s here!”_

I spun around, kicking Isaac so he hit was thrown against the wall. He slumped to the ground, with a groan and I walked over to him. I fisted my hand around the collar of his shirt and I looked down at him.

“I’m sorry,” I said, before balling my other fist. I launched it, making contact with his face before he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

I heard rushed footsteps and whirled around, teeth bared.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Scott exclaimed, raising his hands up in defense. “It’s just me, Sindy!”

I let out a harrumph before my fangs shrank and I could feel my inner wolf fade away. I heard Scott go up to help Allison with Erica, and I picked up Isaac’s limp body.

Thank  _God_ for werewolf strength, because he was  _not_ light.

Scott came down just as I was finished dragging Isaac’s body to the front entrance. Erica was slung over his shoulder, fully paralyzed.

“Stiles, open the door,” I ordered. My brother did as I said, and Scott and I threw the two Betas out of the house.

Derek did  _not_ looked pleased at the sight of his two fallen Betas, and he pursed his lips, exhaling through his nose. The four of us walked out onto the porch, and his eyes fell on me.

“So you’ve made your decision, huh?” Derek inquired.

“I’m always on your side, Derek,” I said softly. “I just can’t stand aside and let you kill people. Whether it’s to protect me or not, it’s not the right way.”

Derek pursed his lips, but otherwise said nothing else. He turned to Scott and said, “I think I’m finally getting why you keep refusing me, Scott. You’re not an Omega. You’re already an Alpha of your own pack. But you can’t beat me.”

“I can hold you off until the cops get here,” Scott declared, and then I focused. I could hear the sound of sirens, and they were getting close to us.

I then heard a hiss from above, and angled my head walking out onto the lawn to find the source. The Kanima crawled above Scott’s house, looked at us, screeched, and disappeared into the night.

Pounded footsteps came rushing out onto the porch, and I blinked in disbelief at the sight of the girl that stood there. “Would someone  **_please_ ** tell me what the  **_hell_ ** is going on?!” she demanded.

“It’s Jackson,” Scott whispered in recognition.

All at once, things started going crazy. Stiles pushed Scott, yelling, “Go! Go! GO!” and the two headed towards their jeep.

I darted towards my car and all but dived into it. I barely got the seatbelt on before I started the engine, when my passenger door popped open.

I turned my head and saw Derek slide in. “ _Go_ !” he ordered. I barely caught sight of Boyd throwing a paralyzed Erica and unconscious Isaac into Derek’s Camaro, before the engine started.

I slammed my foot on the gas, tires screeching loudly. I drove in the direction the Kanima was running away in, and hoped to God Allison was going to be able to explain to the cops whatever the hell was going on.

I could vaguely hear and see the Kanima with my improved eyesight and hearing, and swerved the car. To be honest, I felt like I should be on the next  _Fast and Furious_ with the driving skills my reflexes gave me.

I spotted spike strips not too far away and slammed on the breaks. Without waiting for Derek, I threw my seatbelt off me and took off running. I climbed over the fence that kept people out easily and landed on my feet.

As Derek was stronger and faster than me, he overtook me easily, and we stopped underneath a bridge. He made sure his back was against mine, and we circled the area slowly and cautiously.

A sound of movement snapped me out of my daze, and I felt my claws elongate and my fangs grew. The Kanima hissed at us, and Derek and I let out our own feral growls.

It charged at us, and I jumped out of the way. I did a somersault before Derek growled, charging at the Kanima with his claws. He kicked the Kanima’s chest, and did a backflip, before landing on all fours, growling.

He snarled and threw a punch at the Kanima, but it dodged and he ended up shattering the cement hold. I made a mental note to jump my boyfriend later.  _That was hot_ .

I slid my feet under the Kanima, and took him down. He grabbed me with his tail, taking me down with him, before jumping after Derek. He slashed at the Alpha, but Derek picked up a broken piece of metal, deflecting the attacks.

The two male creatures roared at each other’s faces, before the Kanima ran off. I sprinted after it, and tackled Jackson to the ground. I pinned him roughly and snarled warningly.

Jackson kicked me off of him, and did a backflip, landing on my hands and feet. He jumped on the bridge and broke one of the lights. I was temporarily blinded, and felt Derek land on me.

I grunted in pain and then heard the sound of tires screeching, following by gunshots. Derek instinctively held me down, before picking me up and pulling me away.

I heard the Kanima screech in the distance, and knew that Jackson was still alive.

“You can let go of me now,” I mumbled, pulling away from Derek once my vision was back. I blinked steadily for a couple seconds before shaking my head to clear it.

“Let’s go,” Derek ordered. I furrowed my brows, but ran after him. While I technically  _wasn’t_ following him, I was still following. Does that make sense? Like, we sort of have the same goal, but not really, because I wanted to  _help_ Jackson… not kill him. Though, to be honest, killing him wouldn’t be all  _that_ bad.

What?

He’s a jerk.

I quickly spotted Scott and Stiles hiding in the corner of the building. I broke away from Derek, and jogged over to them.

“Lost him, too?” I asked, stopping in front of the boys.

“Why the hell were you with Derek?” Stiles asked me. “I thought you two broke up.”

I narrowed my eyes at Scott. “We have a  _disagreement_ . I’m still very much his girlfriend, thank you very much. And to answer your question, I don’t know. He just hopped into my car.”

“Alright,” Stiles sighed, rolling his eyes. “Any clue where he’s going?”

“To kill someone,” Scott stated obviously.

“Ah,” Stiles nodded. “That explains the claws, and the fangs and all that. Good. Makes perfect sense now.” Scott and I looked at my brother pointedly. “What? Guys,  _come on_ . I’m 147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bone, okay? Sarcasm is my  _only_ defense.”

“Just help us find it,” Scott sighed.

“Not  _it_ .  **Jackson** ,” Stiles corrected.

“I’m well aware, Stiles,” I sighed, rubbing my temple. Working with Derek was much less of a headache.

“I thought you said he passed the test,” Stiles said, turning to me. “How did he pass the test?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed out, leaning against the dirty brick wall.

“Maybe it’s like an either/or thing,” Stiles suggested. “I mean, Derek said that a snake can’t be poisoned by its own venom, right?” I nodded. “When’s the Kanima not the Kanima?”

“When it’s Jackson,” Scott realized.

I felt an unease coming from Stiles, and saw that he was staring at something from up above. I pulled away to glance at it, while Stiles tried to catch Scott’s attention.

The long, scaly tail slithered inside the building, disappearing from view.

“He’s inside,” Scott said.

I looked at Scott with a deadpan. “No, shit, Sherlock,” I replied. Scott gave me a look that said he was trying. I rubbed my palm over my face.  _Yup_ . Less headache working with Derek.

“What’s he gonna do in there?” Stiles inquired.

“… I know who he’s after,” Scott realized. I turned my attention back to the line, and I blinked.

“What, how?” Stiles sputtered. “How? How? Did you smell something?”

“Armani,” Scott and I sighed out, looking at the lacrosse goalie that stood a few feet away from us.

“We need to find an entrance,” I said, walking down the alleyway.

I came across a door, and Stiles walked over to it, jiggling the doorknob, but to no avail. I exchanged a look with Scott as my brother began to look around. “Alright, maybe there’s like, a, uh… like a window we could climb through or some kind of–” Scott crushed the doorknob and handed it to Stiles. “– Handle that we could rip off with supernatural strength. How’d I not think of that one?”

“Stress?” I suggested. “The brain seems to blank out on the easiest answers when you’re like that.” I followed Scott inside the room and immediately, my blood began to pulse as the music and bass pounded loudly.

… And everyone was a guy.

“I think we’re in a gay club!” Scott announced. I looked around, searching for Stiles. Where the hell did he go?

I found him being surrounded by men. They were fawning over him, rubbing his head and  _giggling_ . “Man, nothing gets past those keen werewolf senses, huh, Scott?” Stiles commented sarcastically.

I walked over to the group and grabbed my brother’s hand, dragging him away from the three men. We walked over to the bar, and Stiles ordered, “Three beers.”

“Uh… actually, just a water will do,” I amended. The bartender nodded and then asked for Stiles and Scott’s IDs. The two boys reached into their wallets and showed their IDs.

“How about two Cokes?” the bartender suggested. To be honest, he was quite handsome. It was such a pity that he was gay…

“Rum and Coke? Sure!” Stiles exclaimed, moving to the music. The bartender raised his eyebrow. “Coke’s fine, actually. I’m driving anyway.” I rolled my eyes and another guy came over, handing me my water and Stiles and Scott their Cokes.

Oh, man, he was cute, too. I looked at the blond man, as he told Scott his drink was paid for. I snapped my head over to where the guy bartender was looking, and a young guy in a red and white striped tank raised his beer in acknowledgement.

Scott looked at Stiles with a smile, and I just wanted to face palm.  _Boys_ . “Aw, shut up,” Stiles snapped, taking his drink in his hand.

“I didn’t say anything,” Scott replied.

“Yeah, well, your face did,” Stiles replied, leaning against the bar counter. He sipped his Coke for a second before hitting Scott’s shoulder. “Hey, I found Danny.”

I heard a noise from the ceiling and glanced up. I hit Scott. “We found Jackson,” Scott reported. Jackson was moving on the ceiling, right above where Danny was…

“Get Danny,” Scott ordered. “Sindy, you coming?” I nodded.

“What’re you two gonna do?” Stiles inquired. In response, Scott and I pulled out our claws. “Works for me.”

We carefully weaved through the crowd, trying to not to draw too much attention, while Stiles went after Danny. Fog started erupting, and I frowned at how it blocked my line of sight.

Wait…

Where was Jackson?

I waved through the dancing bodies, and heard sounds of light thumping… and it  _definitely_ wasn’t from the music.

“Jackson!” Scott called, alarmed. “Sindy!” I turned my head to where I heard Scott’s cry, and whirled around. “No, don’t!”

I pushed Scott out of the way, and ran towards Derek, who was intent on taking down Jackson. I launched myself at him, clinging onto him. He caught me easily as I wove my arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

Angling my head, I crashed my lips down on his, wincing slightly when his fangs cut my lip. I shoved my tongue into his mouth, and moaned, rubbing my body against his.

Derek growled, and his hands went to my hips, gripping me tightly. He lapped at my lips, licking away the blood as my wounds began to heal. I pulled back to breathe and Derek’s head buried into my neck.

I moaned and moved my pelvis against his crotch when he licked where my bite mark originally was. Through half-lidded eyes, I could see Stiles looking at me and Derek with the most insane look of confusion and… slight disgust. Well, yeah, I  _was_ his sister and I  _was_ making out with my boyfriend.

I hoped he was able to follow my thoughts and waved him off with my wrist. Realization dawned in his eyes and he took off. Derek growled and pulled me away from him.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you just did,” he growled, still in his werewolf form. He strode out of the club, with me still wrapped around him.

He walked us back to where my car was parked in the shadows – most likely his doing – and a good distance from the club. He threw me on the hood of my car roughly and a gasp escaped from my throat.

I moved to sit up, but he quickly climbed on the hood, pinning me down. His shins pressed down on mine and his left hand pinned my wrist to my windshield.

I moaned softly under my breath and looked at him with half-hooded eyes. He still hadn’t transformed back, and his blood red eyes stared down at me. He bared his fangs at me and growled, “You think I’m going to let you do whatever you want?”

His right hand trailed up my body, and I shivered under his touch. Despite the fact that the hood of the Genesis was cold from the night air. With his free hand, he wrapped it around my left breast and squeezed it –  _hard_ . “Did you?!”

“No!” I gasped out, arching my back against him. “Oh, God, no!” I knew he wasn’t pleased, and knew he was going to punish me, but God if I didn’t  **want** it.

“I’m going to punish you, Sindy,” Derek growled from above me. “For disobeying me, for getting in my way, and for even  _thinking_ you’d be able to get away with it. No. I’m going to show you who’s the Alpha here, and you’ll submit. You’ll submit like the Beta you are. Do you understand?”

A whimper fell from my lips, and I struggled to move under Derek, but he wasn’t letting me budge an inch. Taking his clawed right hand, he slashed at my shirt, cutting through not only the fabric, but also my bra.

I gasped when the cold air hit my breasts, making my nipples stand at attention. “Cold?” Derek taunted, grabbing and tugging at my left breast. I shook my head, hair splaying all over the hood of my car. “Good,” he said curtly. “With what I have planned for you, you won’t even feel it.”

“Wh – What?” I stuttered out. I was genuinely scared of what he was going to do to me, but couldn’t shake the excitement that coursed through my veins.

“I’m going to mark you, Sindy,” Derek growled. “All over you.  _Everyone_ will know  _who_ you belong to, just who you submit to. Are you going to give yourself to me, Sindy?” I whimpered softly beneath him. “Answer me, Sindy.”

“Y – Yes…” I stuttered out.

Derek smiled evilly above me, and the next thing I knew, my clothes were  _literally_ ripped off of me. My shoes, socks, pants,  _and_ underwear somehow disappeared all in a split second, and Derek’s red eyes glowered down at me. I was still trapped under his hold and he moved his pelvis down. Using his knees, he spread my legs wide open for him. “Stay,” he ordered me.

I nodded mutely, and he released his grip on my wrists. He leaned back on his knees, and his hands went to his jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping the denim. He threw the materials aside, and I watched with a glazed look as he revealed how hard and ready he was.

He thrust into me and I gasped, arching my back. “Wet and ready, just like I expected,” he growled lowly. “Looks like you  _can_ be a good Beta sometimes.” He started a rhythm inside of me: hard, rough, and fast. I took in breaths sharply, gasping and writhing beneath him. This wasn’t like the usual that Derek gave me.

No. 

This was all about **him** , and he was going to take it all. I shuddered beneath him, and he thrust in and out of me at a furious pace. “You’re not allowed to cum tonight, Sindy. Not even once. I’m taking it all and you’ll be receiving none as punishment.”

“No,” I shook my head, arching my back. In response to the action, he pinched and squeezed my breasts roughly. “Please. Please, don’t.” There was absolutely no  _way_ I could live if I wasn’t allowed to climax tonight.

Derek chuckled darkly and pounded into me. I screamed underneath his hold, and my toes curled tightly. He pounded into me with such fervor that I felt like I was going to break. I gasped for breath beneath him, legs spreading widely as he took all of me. He growled and swiveled his hips, and I let out a sob as he hit a particular spot inside of me. He continued to pound the area, and I felt myself tighten beneath him.

I was on the edge – so,  **so** ,  **_so_ ** close, when he abruptly stopped, pulling out of me. “No!” I cried out, looking up at him with wide eyes. He looked down at me and smirked, revealing his fangs to me. Oh  _God_ , he was  **serious** . I watched as he worked himself with his hand, waiting for me to come down from the edge that would never let me fall. I shuddered beneath him and his eyes glowed back at me.

Once my breathing was under control, he grinned at me, and thrust right back into me. I cried out at the pleasure of being filled and he began to thrust inside of me at a fevered pace. Judging by how hard and rough he was going, he was close.

He squeezed and tugged at my breast, and I let out a sharp cry when he actually went and  _slapped_ the side of my left breast. The sting was so painful but felt  _so_ wonderful.

His hands then dropped to my waist, gripping me tightly, and he pounded into me with renewed energy. I screamed beneath him, and felt him pulse inside of me.

Derek let out a roar, and I felt him spurt out his release deep inside of me. He continued to thrust inside me weakly, riding out his orgasm. He pulled out of me, and I whimpered, half at the loss, half at the fact that I still hadn’t reached my own orgasm.

“I told you this is your punishment,” Derek replied. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be  **begging** like a little bitch.” I moaned at his rough words. It was so out of character for him, but judging from the way he was right now – it fit.

He moved up my body and I stared at his flaccid dick – which was still impressive even limp. “Clean me,” he ordered.

I opened my mouth, hoping that if I was good enough, he’d let me have at least  _one_ orgasm tonight. He slid himself inside of me, and it felt weird, having a soft penis inside my mouth, but…

I moaned at the taste that filled my taste buds. It was salty and bitter that came from Derek, so I could only assume that the sweet and thickness that was on him was from me. It was a euphoric taste, and I eagerly lapped at him.

My hands moved so they would grab his firm butt, and I squeezed the muscles tightly before working at him. It didn’t take long for him to harden inside my mouth, and within the first minute, he was hard and ready to go.

I bobbed my head up and down, licking and swirling my tongue over every inch of him.  _God_ he was delicious.

“Taste good, doesn’t it?” Derek said, running a gentle, clawed hand through my locks. I moaned in response, and he groaned. “How sweet and thick you are. It’s the best taste in the world.”

I pulled my head off of him and wrapped my hands around him, pumping him in slow, steady strokes. “You should taste how good it is when we’re mixed together…”

“Aren’t you a dirty one?” Derek teased. “But did I  _say_ you can stop with your mouth?”

I shook my head, and replaced my hand with my mouth. Derek groaned and gave a particular rough thrust, hitting the back of my throat. I felt a hand sneak down my body, and my eyes widened in shock when Derek’s fingers began to probe my lower entrance as I continued to work him.

“You’re  _incredibly_ dirty, Sindy,” Derek commented casually. “Who would’ve thought the cute, little, virgin, human girl I met just a little over a month and a half ago would be  _this_ excited? Does it thrill you, Sindy? To taste yourself all over my cock? To have sex on top of your car in public, where anyone can see you submitting to me,  _hm_ ?”

I never even  _thought_ about that. And to be honest, it was quite hot, but also quite… intrusive.

“I agree,” Derek replied, fingers tracing my lower lips. I continued to work with him, as he continued to talk to me. “Sexy, but you’re for  _my_ eyes only. Isn’t that right?” I nodded, moving in sync with my bobs.

I moaned around him when he inserted two fingers inside of me easily, and he groaned. “You’re so  _tight_ . I bet you want to cum, don’t you? That’s why you’re being such a good girl?” He pulled his fingers out and I whimpered at the loss of contact, but still didn’t stop my actions.

“Look at this, Sindy,” he ordered. I moved my eyes to look up at him and he showed me his two fingers, which were glistening a somewhat whitish, clear liquid. “It’s me mixed with you.”

I groaned softly around him, and he chuckled. He pulled me out of his mouth and wiped his fingers on the underside of his cock. “Go ahead,” he gestured. I wasted no time going back to him, and swiped my tongue over one of his particularly large veins.

We groaned together and I began to speed up. He got harder and harder inside my mouth, and I took him deep down my throat. It was hard at first, but I managed to get him down there, and rubbed my thighs together.

He groaned, and began to meet my bobs with thrusts. At the very last second, he abruptly pulled out of my mouth. I gasped when a warm, wet sensation hit my chest, and I gaped at the sight of Derek leaving his scent and mark all over me with a deep groan.

I whimpered softly, rubbing my thighs together for the umpteenth time. I was absolutely  _soaking_ , and I wanted to just have my orgasm already. Derek panted deeply, looking down at me with his still-red eyes.

“Get on all fours,” he ordered. He slid off the hood of my car, and I shakily complied to his orders. When I looked back at him, he had shed his jacket and shirt so they were on top of my car with the rest of our clothing.

He climbed back onto the Genesis, and splayed his body over my own. I gasped at the warmth that covered me, and his hands went to my breasts, squeezing and spreading the wetness that was there. He rubbed himself against my opening, but as he still wasn’t fully hard yet, there was nothing protruding my entrance.

Still, that didn’t mean it didn’t feel good.

“P – Please…” I stuttered out. “Please, Derek.”

“I don’t know,” Derek replied, biting the top of my right ear. “You weren’t a particularly good girl. What makes you think you deserve to be rewarded?”

“I – I –” I honestly didn’t know. It was true. I went against my Alpha’s orders.

“Exactly,” Derek replied, and then slipped his now-hard self back inside me. I cried out at the feeling, and leaned down so my forearms were resting on my windshield. I gasped and took in sharp breaths as Derek moved in and out of me.

“You belong to me, Sindy,” Derek said from above me. “No one else.”

“I belong only to you,” I choked out, toes curling tightly. I could feel my orgasm approaching and I heaved out a heavy breath. The pit in my stomach got heavier, and heavier, and heavier, as Derek continued to pound inside of me.

I climbed higher and higher to the edge, when Derek pulled out of me – again.

“No!” I roared at the lost. Derek, however, found great amusement and chuckled. He rubbed his hard, wet self against my perineum. I tensed and my eyes widened when his tip began to prod at my second hole.

“Relax…” Derek breathed out into my ear.

Struggling against my instincts, I willed my muscles to do as he said.

Because I was so wet, I was able to provide a substantial amount of lubrication… for Derek to slip his tip in. I gasped, and he groaned loudly. “ _God_ . Just when I think you couldn’t be any tighter.”

He pulled out of me, and slammed back into my first hole. I cried out in pleasure and shock, collapsing onto my windshield, unable to support myself. The only reason why my hips were still up was because Derek was holding them.

He drilled into me before he moved so his left arm was wrapped around my stomach. With his right hand, he trailed down, running his nails through my dark, curled pubic hair, before pressing down on my clit.

“ **_AH_ ** !” I cried. I sobbed out, “Please, Derek! Please! Let me come!  **_Please_ ** !” I begged. I absolutely was going to honestly combust if I wasn’t.

Derek didn’t respond, simply shifting his grip a bit. He pounded into me, hitting my cervix over and over again, before shifting once more. I cried and sobbed beneath him when he pounded into the particularly spongey spot I knew was the source for some of my more amazing orgasms.

I was seriously going to cry if he stopped me this time.

I climbed higher and higher – closer to my peak. His pace didn’t slow down and I clung onto the hope.

Just a  _millisecond_ before I hit my orgasm, Derek stopped.

“ ** _NO_**!” I cried out. “Please, Derek! Please, if you love me, **please** let me come. I can’t take it anymore.” I sobbed out.

Derek didn’t respond, pulling out slowly. Oh God, I was going to cry. Just before his tip slid out, he pushed back in me so hard I jumped and then screamed as I fell over the edge.

I squeezed Derek tightly, meeting my orgasm, and he groaned loudly. The familiar gush feeling I had suddenly came, and Derek was forced out of me, and I shook uncontrollably, crying loudly as the second orgasm hit out of nowhere.

My insides pulsed and the euphoric feeling spread through me. I was being held up and supported by Derek, as he waited for me to come down from my high. It felt so **_good_**. The throbbing in my legs had long disappeared, filled with a satisfaction that came.

I was dripping all down my thighs and all over my car, but I didn’t give a single, flying _fuck_. I felt **_amazing_**. Derek lifted my limp body up, angling my head. He captured my lips with his, and I kissed him gratefully.

As his tongue licked my lips, I opened them. The second his tongue slid in, his dick slid back inside of me. I gasped at the sensation, overly sensitive from my two back-to-back orgasms. I moaned into his mouth as he began to bounce me up and down him, moving so he’d reach his third peak of the night.

Our kiss was sloppy and most of our saliva got all over our mouths instead of _in_ them, but I didn’t care. He squeezed my left breast tightly as he held me across my chest, and his other hand was wrapped around my hips.

I continued to move on my knees, bouncing up and down as he worked himself from behind me. He pounded amazingly inside me, hitting my cervix, my g-spot, my _everywhere_. He was getting harder and harder inside of me, as I surrounded him tightly.

At the same time, we moaned into each other’s mouths, kissing sloppily as I clenched around him tightly, as he released inside of me. We met our mutual third orgasms of the night together, and he sensually moved inside of me.

I gasped and panted for air, before Derek released me. I collapsed on my hood, breathing heavily. My sweat clung to my naked body as I struggled to fill my lungs with much needed oxygen. 

Derek leaned down, and kissed my cheek softly, before rubbing his rough cheek against mine. “I love you, Sindy.”

My heart swelled at the very first time he took the initiative to say the three words. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I turned to look at him.

He had de-transformed, now back to his regular human self. He looked at me with understand, gentle green eyes, and my heart pounded at the look of pure love he gave me.

A sob caught in my throat, and I threw my arms at Derek. He caught me easily, his arms wrapping around my thin waist. “I love you,” I declared into his chest. “I love you so much it hurts.”

He rubbed my back gently, and he nuzzled the top of my head. “I know. I do, too.”

I angled my head to look up at him, and his pale green met my caramel brown. I gently closed my eyes, and he pressed his lips to mine.

As I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, kissing him with all the love I had, I couldn’t help but think that one day, this man would be mine to call my own in every legal way possible…


	31. Dominance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Knotting/spanking/anal fingering involved. There will be a warning in the middle of the chapter.

**FRIDAY  
** **MARCH 11, 2011**

“… Let me get this straight,” I said, rubbing my temples. “You kidnapped Jackson.”  _Nods_ . “You stole a prison transport van.”  _Nods_ . “And now you guys have restraining orders placed on you.”  _Nods._

It was silent for a couple seconds, and when a mouth opened to speak, I cut them off.

“Are you guys  **_stupid_ ** or something?!” I exploded. The two boys sitting at the table winced. “You’re lucky  _all_ you guys are getting is a restraining order! You guys could be thrown in jail!”

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the two boys. They at least had the gull to look guilty. I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

Oh yeah. Working with Derek was a  _lot_ less of a hassle.

“So, you had no idea this was going on?” Dad asked from where he stood. “Where were you?”

“At  _school_ ,” I replied, “which  _Scott_ attended.” I narrowed my eyes at the brunet. “And didn’t  _tell me_ . Then the rest of the day, I spent it with Derek.”

Dad frowned. “You’re still with him?”

I exhaled through my nose, pursing my lips. “Yes, Dad. Derek’s still my boyfriend. But this isn’t about me. Just read what’s on the paper…” I gestured to the clipboard he held.

Dad nodded and looked down. “You will not go within fifty feet of Jackson Whittemore. You will not speak to him. You will not approach him. You will not assault or harass him physically or psychologically.” He threw the clipboard down on the steel table.

“… What about school?” Stiles asked.

“You can attend classes while attempting to maintain a fifty-foot distance.”

“Bu – okay…” Stiles nodded. “What if we both have to use the bathroom at the same time,” he started. Melissa and Jackson’s father crossed their arms in irritation. “And there’s only two stalls available and they’re only right next to each other?”

“Stiles?” I said.

“Yeah?” My brother turned so he was looking at me.

“Shut up.”

“Okay…” He sat back in his seat a bit. “I’ll just… hold it.” I sighed again, and my father dismissed everyone. He then reached down, grabbed Stiles, and I followed the two out the room.

“Your sister’s right, Stiles,” Dad scolded Stiles as I leaned against the wall. “You’re lucky that they’re not pressing charges.”

“Oh, come on,” Stiles sighed. “It was just a joke.”

“It was a joke?”

“Yes!” Stiles exclaimed. “I didn’t think it would be taken this seriously. Dad, humor’s  _very_ subjective, okay? I mean, we’re talking, like,  _multiple_ levels of interpretation here.”

“Uh huh?”

“Uh huh.”

“Okay, well, how  _exactly_ am I support to interpret the stolen prison transport van, huh?” Dad asked Stiles.

“We filled the tank!” Like  _that_ made everything better. Melissa and Scott walked by, but the woman forced her son to keep moving.

Dad looked at us before dismissing us to go talk to Mr. Whittemore. Stiles and I stepped out into the hallway, where Melissa was doing her best to parent Scott (I knew from her feelings that she was anxious and felt like she was doing something wrong, but she really wasn’t).

“Derek’s still waiting for me outside,” I told Stiles. My brother looked down at me before rolling his eyes, but nodded, nonetheless. “I’ll see you at home.”

I awkwardly moved around Melissa and Scott, before striding out of the sheriff’s station.

Derek was still parked outside and I threw open the door, sighing heavily, before slamming it shut. “My brother and his friend are idiots.”

“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Derek replied like the good boyfriend he was. He started the car after I attached my seatbelt, taking off back to the lair, as I so fondly dubbed it.

From the look on his face, he already knew what had happened, and I could only correctly assume that he was listening in on the conversation that was inside the station. Werewolf hearing was amazing, and I guess when you’re an Alpha, it’s even better.

Deciding to not wallow over Stiles and Scott, I turned my head to look at Derek. “I love you,” I said randomly.

Derek turned to give me a brief look before turning back to the road. I felt his right hand reach over the console, before latching onto my left. “I already know that, too.”

I smiled softly, and squeezed his larger hand gently. I placed my other hand over his and gently rubbed the back of it. I loved the way his rough hair felt against my soft skin, and he squeezed my left hand in return.

Once we arrived outside the lair, I followed Derek inside, closing the door behind me. We sat down in the empty subway car and I leaned into him. He draped his arm around me, and we sat there for a while.

“The full moon’s coming,” I said.

“I know,” Derek replied. “And I still haven’t had time to teach the other three control.”

“You’re in for a rough night,” I grimaced, moving my head to look up at him.  _God_ , he was so handsome. I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck, relishing in his warmth. He relaxed under my touch, and his hand shift from my shoulder, trailing down my arm.

The door to the lair was then thrown open, and I knew our (very short) alone time was gone. “Well,” I sighed, standing up and stretching. “Time to get the babies prepared.”

“You’re only a week older than I am,” Isaac said, rolling his eyes as he stepped into the car with Erica. Derek got up, and we followed him as he grabbed a trunk. “So, why do we need their help?”

“Because it’s harder to kill than I thought and I still don’t know who it is,” Derek replied.

“Oh,” I blinked. “It’s Jackson.” The three werewolves turned to look at me. “The only ones in the house were Stiles, Allison, Jackson, and Lydia, before Stiles called me.”

Derek breathed through his nose, before saying, “I still need one of you to get on their good side.”

“What about Sindy?” Isaac suggested.

“Besides her,” Derek rolled his eyes.

“ _Mhm_ ,” Erica hummed. “Scott or Stiles?”

Derek turned to look at his Betas. “Either,” he replied. He placed the trunk down.

“You know, the full moon’s coming, Derek,” Isaac pointed out.

“I’m aware of that,” Derek said. He opened the trunk and pulled out chains and restraints.

I whistled lowly. “If you ever want to tie me up, all you have to do is ask,” I quipped, looking at them. “Though, I’d like for them to be padded. I don’t think chains would be rather pleasurable.”

“I think they look quite comfortable,” Erica responded, holding up another set of chains. “If you ever want, there’s always me.” I growled lowly in the back of my throat in warning. Erica gave me a weary smile. “Kidding, kidding.”

Derek threw me a look that said he was going to talk to me later before taking whatever Erica had pulled out and setting them aside.

“You said you were gonna teach us to change whenever we wanted,” Isaac pointed out.

Derek pursed his lips in annoyance. “There hasn’t been time.”

“But if you have to lock us up during the full moon, that means… that means you and Sindy are alone against the Argents… Assuming she isn’t going to be tied up as well.”

“The only time he’s typing me up is to a bedpost before we get it on,” I quipped out of reflex. Both males snapped to me.  _Oh, shit_ . “Um… I mean… well, I already have good control, right? I don’t need to be tied up during the full moon… do I?”

“You’re not being chained down,” Derek informed me. “And they haven’t found us,” he directed that statement towards Isaac as he walked away to get something.

“Yet!” the boy exclaimed. “So how about we forget the kanima?”

“We.  _Can’t_ !” Derek pointed out. “There was something about the way Gerard looked at it,” he explained. “He wasn’t afraid… at all. Now, I don’t know what he knows or what he’s planning, but I’m sure about one thing: we  **have** to find it first. So get on Stiles or Scott’s good side.”

**TUESDAY  
** **MARCH 22, 2011**

Allison and I walked into the library together. While I hadn’t  _fully_ trusted her 100% yet, I still had to look past whatever grudge I had in order to take down Jackson. All of our safety was much more important than a silly old grudge. And… she might not be all  _that_ bad. It’s just her family was particularly talent in manipulate naïve teenaged girls that had a penchant for the supernatural. Oh  _wait_ , it’s just Allison. Because I sure as hell wasn’t naïve.

We walked through the aisles, and I pretended to skim the books, before my brother and Scott appeared on the other side of the aisle.

Allison pulled out a tablet that I had already downloaded information from, and slid it through the bookshelf. “It’s everything Lydia can translate, and trust me, she was  _very_ confused.”

“Yeah?” Scott inquired, looking at the tablet. “What’d you tell her?”

“That we were part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures.”

Scott chuckled, but I knew from experience that my brother really was in one… and he made sure the other two knew it as well. “I  _am_ part of an online gaming community that battles mythical creatures,” he informed.

“O – oh,” Allison stuttered. “Great.”

“Okay, does it say how to find out who’s controlling him?” Scott inquired.

Allison shook her head. “Not really, but Stiles was right about the murderers.”

My brother did a fist pump. “ _Yes_ !” he whisper-shouted. He made eye contact with me and gave me a wide grin. I couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on my face and rolled my eyes.

“It calls the kanima a weapon of vengeance,” Allison said. “There’s a story in there about this South American priest who uses the kanima to execute murderers in his village–”

“Alright, see?” Stiles inquired. “So maybe it’s not all that bad.”

“Until the bond grew strong enough that it killed whoever he wanted to,” Allison finished.

“Still ‘not all that bad’?” I looked at Stiles with a raised eyebrow.

“All bad,” Stiles declared. “All very, very bad.”

“Here’s the thing, though. The kanima’s actually supposed to be a werewolf. But it can’t be–”

“Until it resolves that in its past which manifested it,” Scott read.

“Okay, if that means that Jackson could use a few thousand hours of therapy, I could’ve told you that myself,” Stiles pointed out.

“Maybe a hundred-thousand,” I frowned. “What if it has something do to with his parents?”

“Yeah,” Scott agreed, nodding. “Anybody actually know what happened to them?”

“Lydia might,” Stiles pointed out.

“What if she doesn’t know anything?”

“Erica might, too,” I pointed out. The three looked at me confused. “Her dad was the insurance investigator.”

“Okay…” Allison nodded slowly. “Well, if neither know anything, Jackson doesn’t have a restraining order against me, so… I’ll talk to him myself.”

“Why can’t Sindy do that?” Scott asked. I threw him a look. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I mean like, since you’re a werewolf, too, it’d be… better because…”

“Because I can fight?” I finished his sentence. “You basically implied Allison can’t fend for herself.” My best friend began to stammer and Allison and I exchanged equally amused looks. “Scott, relax. And it’s because Derek needs me for something today after school.”

Though I didn’t add the fact that he wanted to meet me at my house, which basically meant fun, sexy times, but I needed a  **release** . My period had hit last week so  _that_ wasn’t fun at all. And besides, I think better when I’m not sexually frustrated.

“Okay,” Scott sighed. “So what do I do?”

“You have a make-up exam, remember?” Allison pointed out. Scott let out a frustrated sigh. “Promise me.”  _Annnnd_ , here’s where they get mushy.

I leaned against the bookshelf, before pulling out a book. _Hm_. _Vampire Academy_ … seems interesting. Maybe I’ll check this out. This Rose girl seems like my kind of gal.

“- weird or bizarre,” Scott said. “Anything.”

Stiles pushed his head through the bookshelf. “Anything  _evil_ !” he supplied. I rolled my eyes and walked away, taking the book with me.

I quickly checked out the book, before giving the three a wave goodbye. I walked off, all but skipping down the steps to my car. I climbed into the driver’s seat before starting the car, heading home. I know it was only 10 AM, but… Hey, I’m sixteen. I’ve gotta live a little.

I arrived home and wasted no time climbing up the stairs. I threw the door open to my room, before tossing my bag to the floor. Derek looked up from the book he was reading on my bed, but otherwise didn’t do anything else.

Smiling, I kicked off my boots before I rushed over to the bed and all but pounced on Derek, who put the book back on my nightstand. His hands instinctively went to my waist, holding me, before my hair fell around us like a curtain.

“Hi,” I greeted, unable to stop the wide grin.

“Hi,” Derek replied simply, before pulling my down. My body flushed against his before I leaned down, capturing his lips with mine.

A strange feeling to take over pulsed through my veins, and I inhaled sharply, my pulse beating wildly. I pulled back sitting on Derek’s pelvis, shocked, and placed a hand over my racing heart.

I looked down at Derek, who was looking up at me with patient, green eyes. My chest moved up and down as I attempted to calm my breathing.

"Let it go, Sindy,” Derek instructed.

“Let what go?” I asked, confused.

“Your body…” Derek replied simply. “It’s ready. It wants to finish the mating process.”

“Y – You mean…?”

He nodded. “Relax, Sindy,” he instructed, sliding his hands from my hips to down my thighs. I was wearing shorts today, so when I felt the skin-on-skin contact, my muscles did as he ordered. “Let your instincts take over… Trust your senses. Don’t fight them.”

I took in a shaky breath, and exhaled. A weight was lifted off my shoulders, and a fire burned inside the pit of my stomach. I looked back down at Derek, and a wave of possessiveness filled through me. My eyes changed color and all I could think was that he was  **_mine_ ** .

I crouched low over his body, and rubbed my nose against his shirt-clad torso. I ran it up his sternum, and my fangs elongated as I reached his neck. My tongue stuck out, and I gave his scruffy chin a nice, long lick, as I trailed up to his mouth.

I crashed my lips onto his and a moan escaped from both of our mouths, mixing together as our lips, tongues, and teeth collided.

I rocked my hips over his, and let out a pleasured sigh as the friction built over my core. My hands moved down his strong chest, before wrapping around the hem of his t-shirt. I pulled it up slowly, making sure my nails would rake against his body gently. He moaned into my mouth, kissing me sloppily, before I pulled back briefly to take off the rest of the article of clothing. I wasted no time planting my mouth back where it should be: on his.

My hands rubbed over his chest, and I just loved the feeling of feeling his smooth, hard body underneath me. My hands spread out over his pecs, and I moaned softly at the feeling.

Moving my hands down his body, I could feel the way his muscles contorted under my touch, and I pulled back. I looked down at him seeing his very kissable lips that were doing such actions, and eyed him.

His chest moved with each breath he took – slowly, because he was  _that_ talented – and his abdominals were hard as always. I eyed the light dusting of dark hair that started from the button of his belly button down to his dark jeans where I  _knew_ pleasure just awaited me.

I threw my hair over my left shoulder, before crossing my arms over my front, grabbing the hem of my shirt. I dragged the material slowly off my body, and as the cool air hit my flat stomach, a low growl erupted from Derek’s chest.

I smirked from behind my clothing and tugged the shirt all the way off, throwing it to the side. My eyes locked with his for a brief second, before he broke the contact to scan down my body.

“You  _minx_ ,” he said, eyes on my bare breasts.

“There wasn’t a point in wearing one when I was going to come back to you anyway,” I purred, leaning forward. I placed my left hand on the bed, next to his side, and trailing my regular index finger down his sternum.

“It better be because of me,” Derek said, his chest rumbling under my finger. I looked up through my eyelashes and saw his eyes flash red. “Because you’re  _mine_ .”

“As you’re mine,” I replied, leaning down all the way so my chest pressed against his. I kissed him sensually, taking his top lip in between my lips.

He growled from underneath me, and I knew it was his Alpha coming out. It warmed me how he was letting me take charge, as I knew it was against his nature  _and_ he didn’t trust anyone.

Knowing this, I pressed down even harder, kissing him with fervor. His hands went to my hips, holding me as he kissed me back with just as equal passion.

I pulled back, and kissed my way down his body. Adding to my own kisses, I fluttered my eyelashes, giving him butterfly kisses as well. His muscles clenched under my soft, delicate touches, and he groaned.

I moved down, kissing his belly button before rubbing down his happy trail. The man made even  _body hair_ sexy. A purr escaped from the back of my throat and my behind swayed slightly at the mere  _thought_ of him naked below me.

Now, I never understood the appeal of body hair, but after meeting Derek… Like,  _wow_ . I wanted to lick every inch of him and feel every inch of his body against my softer body.

I popped open the button of his jeans, and dragged the zipper down slowly. I then grabbed the waistband of his black boxer briefs, and pulled them down, as well. Derek’s penis jumped out at me, and it honestly probably would’ve taken my eye out if I didn’t have quick reflexes. I giggled at the sight of him, and couldn’t help but comment, “ _Well_ , someone’s happy to see me.”

As I pulled down the rest of his clothing, I looked back up to make eye contact with Derek. He was looking right back at me with an intense look in his eyes, his chest moving as he took in deep breaths. “With the way you’re acting, obviously,” Derek retorted.

I smiled, throwing his pants and boxer briefs somewhere in another part of my room. With my right hand, I reached up, and gently cupped his sack. He groaned as I rubbed them gently, feeling the warm, smooth skin. I tested their weight gently, before wrapping my small hand around his base.

My left hand rubbed his muscular right thigh, fingers tangling with his dark, rough curls that rested there. I rubbed the tops of them gently, before moving to the inside of his thighs. Whenever he did that to me, it felt amazing, so I only hoped it was the same for him.

My right hand began to pump him gently, not moving as smooth as it usually does as he wasn’t lubricated yet. Well, I’d fix that soon enough.

I moved my head forward, before blowing softly against his tip, which had started to gather his white precum. He moaned below me and bucked his hips once roughly.

“ _Ah_ ,” I lightly made a scolding noise. “Soon enough, Derek.” And with that, I wrapped my lips around his strong tip, tongue swiping over the top to greedily take in his essence.

We both moaned – both from pleasure. He always tasted so good. I opened my eyes, and kept my eyes trained on him as I bobbed my head rhythmically up and down his shaft.

His eyes locked with mine and I moaned around him. There was just something so erotic about him watching me blow him. He groaned, but his eyes didn’t tear away from me.

In fact, his hands locked into my hair, assisting my head gently to help me maintain eye contact and move up and down on him. After a few seconds, I pulled away and began to stroke him. Looking down at him, an idea popped into my head. “Mind if I try something?” I inquired, throwing my hair over my shoulders.

Derek looked at me with questioning eyes, but didn’t say anything else. I removed my hand from him, and smiled at the way he stood up straight at a ninety degree angle. I licked my lips in anticipation and scooted back. “Move forward,” I ordered him, sliding off the bed overall. As Derek sat up, I stood. I took the time to pull off my shorts, and my underwear along with it.

When the air hit between my thighs, I rubbed them together, spreading the wetness that had gathered there. Derek sat at the edge of my bed, and quirked his eyebrow at me. I smiled down at him, before dropping to my knees. I looked at him through my eyelashes and batted them a couple of times. He growled lowly and I giggled, before scooting forward. I placed my breasts on either side of his dick, and his eyes widened in realization.

“You’re always squeezing them so much,” I commented casually, pressing my breasts so they’d squish together, surrounding his cock. He leaned back on his hands, and groaned, as I began to move up and down him. I angled my head down, watching as the tip would pop out every now and then, and I licked the tip every time it did.  _What_ ? I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to have a taste.

He groaned, running a hand through my brown locks. He gripped them tightly, but not too tight to hurt me. As he did, I moaned softly, and gave him another lap. Who knew it felt so good. Or maybe it was because of the combined feelings of Derek’s trust, coupled with the promise of future highs that just made it all the more great.

Out of everything, though, it was definitely the way Derek trusted me.

Overwhelmed with a feeling that made my heart skip multiple beats, I stood up quickly. I climbed onto his lap, straddling him. He held my hips steady, and I looked down at him. His pale green eyes held nothing but understanding and love, and I just…

“I love you,” I said softly, looking straight into his eyes.

They softened a fraction, and his mouth curved, before forming into a true, from-the-heart smile that warmed my heart. “I love you, too.” My eyes began to prickle as I felt the impending sense of tears, but I swallowed it back. Instead, I reached between us, grabbing his erection, which had swelled to the point where it rested against his abdominals.

I angled him softly, making sure he was directly under my hole, before I slid down onto him. The two of us moaned together at the feeling, and I angled my head upwards, kissing him. I placed my knees on the bed and began to bounce, moving up and down. I moaned into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck. His arms moved so they circled around my waist, and his hips moved, pushing up every time I lowered.

Every time our hips met, I let out a small, breathy sigh. He felt amazing inside me, moving and hitting every sensitive spot I had. I raked my nails down his chest as we moved our heads, angling to breathe through our kisses. When he growled beneath me, that was when I felt the change.

The wave of possessiveness that I had felt earlier returned, and I snarled gently. I pulled back and pushed Derek back so he lied back on the bed. He slipped out of me as I stood up on the bed and with a silent nod of my head, he scooted back up my bed. Then, I fell to my knees, and pushed him forcefully back inside of me.

We both moaned at the contact, and I placed my hands on his chest. Looking down, I saw that my claws had grown, and had no doubt in my mind my eyes were glowing a bright amber. When I met Derek’s eyes, they were a blood red, and I groaned, arching my back as I swiveled my hips above him.

I continued moving above him, my pace never wavering. I was filled with this burst of energy that had only one goal: to reach our peak. I snarled, increasing my pace as I rode Derek with a wild abandon.

As I got closer and closer to my peak, I could feel my canines elongating. I looked down at Derek, and had the urge to just  _bite_ him. I bent down so I was on all fours, but my hips still continued to buck and move against him.

As I leaned down closer and closer, I could feel Derek’s hot breath brushing against the top of my head as he let out his own pleasured moans and groans below me. My breasts brushed against his chest, and I enjoyed the way my sensitive, perky, hardened nipples felt against his hard chest. In response to the delightful feeling, my body rubbed against him, and he moaned below me, all the while I breathed heavily.

I ran my tongue over my canines, looking at the crook of his neck on the left side. Seeing that, I growled in the back of my throat, as my lower half tightened around Derek’s hard cock. I reached forward, my left hand grabbing Derek’s hair. In response to that, he growled softly, looking back at me with his Alpha red eyes, upper body tensing. Seeing my eyes, however, he proceeded to immediately relax, before moving his head to the right, revealing his neck to me.

At the sight of his vulnerability, a wave of domination filled through my veins, pulsing against my body. The closer I got to my orgasm, the stronger and faster my pulse raced. I could feel Derek’s own orgasm coming, and I began to buck even harder and faster than ever before.

He continued to bump into my g-spot, hitting the spot over and over again, making me tighten around him as the seconds passed by. The dam was pounding and throbbing, and then I felt it. I let out a roar as I burst around him, and I slammed my head down, right into the crook of his shoulder. I bit down onto the skin roughly, causing Derek to roar loudly before I felt something changing – for better or worse, I’d definitely find out in the next minute.

**WARNING: STOP HERE IF KNOTTING AND/OR ROUGH SEX AND/OR SPANKING DURING SEX CAUSES YOU DISCOMFORT. SKIP TO THE “IT’S SAFE.”**

I cried out as I felt the base of him swell – much bigger than ever before inside of me. He was getting bigger and bigger, stretching my insides painfully, but it felt _oh_ so **_good_**. Oh, this was definitely for the better.

As he stretched me, the pain only hit for a brief second, before my healing factor kicked in, brushing it all away, coating it with pleasure.

I found myself reaching another orgasm, and I cried loudly, throwing my head back, cumming once again around Derek. I gasped in pleasure, lapping up at the blood that surrounded Derek’s neck. Derek groaned from underneath me, and I pulled back to look at him. I gasped at the way his eyes glowed this ferocious red that sent shivers down my spine.

He still hadn’t decreased in size in front of me, and I stammered out, “Wh – What happened?”

He swallowed thickly, before answering, his voice husky and deep with the hint of Alpha, “We’re officially, 100% mated now. When you bit down on me, you caused me to knot inside of you.”

“Kn – Knot?” I repeated.

Derek nodded stiffly. “Normally, mating happens when a couple is ready to copulate. It’s also a way to bring the female much more pleasure, as well.”

“I – I can see that…” I breathed out, still stretched around him. We weren’t even moving, and I felt so good. “Well… I’m still on birth control, so we don’t have to worry about having little werepups.” I gave him a shaky smile.

He chuckled deeply and darkly, and I knew where that tone was going to take me. His eyes scanned my body, before he smirked evilly. “Doesn’t mean we can’t practice,” he replied. Without slipping out of me (not that he could, anyway, he was really tight inside of me), he spun me around.

I felt a bit awkward, still connected to him as he pushed me so I got on all fours while he kneeled over me, but the feeling quickly rushed away, when he swiveled his hips instead of thrusting in and out of me. But  **_oh_ ** did that feel  **AH-MA-ZING** .

I screamed, clenching the bed sheets tightly as his cock moved around inside me, pressing against one side before quickly slapping over to the other. He pounded against every  _centimeter_ inside of me, leaving no place untouched.

His flesh grinded against my inner walls, and I collapsed forward, my weight all on my shoulders as my hips were held up by Derek. My body was at a forty-five degree angle instead of parallel to my bed, and Derek took that opportunity to run his hands over the fleshy curve of my butt.

My elbows dug into the bed and I whimpered, his cock hitting so many places inside of me. I knew I was tightening around him, judging by how fast he moved from one “end” to another. At this point, he was just switching which way to press his weight.

He pushed forward, hitting my cervix, and I cried out, coming around him once again. I felt him roar and his nails dig painfully into my hips, but I ignored it, knowing I’d heal in the next couple of minutes. I felt him spurt inside of me, and could feel myself filling up with his seed.

However… there was something…

“I – W – Why aren’t you softening?” I asked shakily. Derek chuckled from behind me, running his hand sensually against my butt.

He bent over, so his body covered mine. “Because knotting gives a male werewolf  _much_ more stamina. Filling the female up isn’t the only pleasure the female will be able to feel. She’ll be able to feel pleasure for a  _long_ time.”

Oh  _God_ . He already had amazing stamina  _without_ the knot. Now? He was the  **definition** of a monster in bed.

He swiveled his hips and I cried, throwing my head into the sheets. They barely did anything to cover my screams. All it was doing was making it difficult for me to breathe.

I moved my head, resting on the left side of my face, crying out in pure pleasure as he hit every part of my walls again. I whined like a bitch in heat (which I probably was at this point), scratching through my sheets.

I felt a light tap against my butt cheek and moaned loudly, the sensation spreading through my body.

“Hm,” Derek hummed. “ _Spanking_ , huh? You’re a kinky little squirrel, aren’t you? Would you like it if I kept hitting you, my naughty little squirrel?”

“Oh!” I exclaimed sharply when he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside of me. “Y – Yes. P – P – Please, Derek.” It felt  _soooooo_ good!

Derek chuckled above me, and I panted heavily, gripping the sheets in anticipation. When a few seconds passed, I began to loosen up, wondering what he was doing. I moved back to see, but then…

_THWACK!_

I moaned loudly, arching my back as I came once more as the vibrations struck through my body from my right cheek.

_THWACK!_

Another orgasm filled through my body and I felt my pelvis get thicker as I actually  _squirted_ this time, but since he was knotted inside me, my orgasm trickled slowly out between us like a leaky faucet while my left cheek throbbed.

_THWACK!_

I whimpered loudly, and begged out, “Please!” My right cheek stung harshly. “I – I can’t take it any more! Stop!”

_THWACK!_

“You begged for it, Sindy,” Derek scolded harshly. “And you’ll live up to it. We’ll stop at ten. That was only four.”

_THWACK! THWACK!_

Both of his hands slapped against my butt and I clenched painfully both around Derek and I was holding onto the bed sheets so hard that my  _blunt_ nails were pressing against my palms roughly.

Four more.

_THWACK!_

_THWACK!_

_THWACK!_

_THWACK!_

I screamed, so  **_so_ ** loudly that my throat hurt. Tears leaked from the corner of my eyes as I arched my back to the point of it being painful (and let me tell you, being a werewolf added flexibility to the list). I came around Derek, but I wasn’t even sure at this point how many orgasms I’ve had.

I collapsed on the bed, completely spent. Derek chuckled darkly from above me, and continued to move inside of me, hitting my walls. His fingers danced over my body, before hoisting my hips back up.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head when his hands moved between my thighs, scooping up some of my release. He then moved his hand over my body, before resting in-between my cheeks.

The tip of his index finger slipped inside, and a weak moan – half from pleasure, half from exhaustion – escaped from my lips. He slipped more of the tip in, getting it past his first joint.

I groaned, when his finger wiggled inside of me, as he attempted to slip past the second joint. Against my will, I continued to tighten and tighten around him, and I whimpered. I was going to  **_die_ ** at this rate. I gasped for breath.

I whimpered when the rest of his finger slipped inside, and I clenched around his cock  _and_ his finger. “You’re so tight in here…” Derek said darkly. “I can’t  _wait_ until I test you out in here.”

I could only moan softly in response, and he chuckled, moving his finger in and out of my asshole as he continued to swivel his hips.

Derek then leaned over me, and when I felt his teeth ghosting the crook of my left shoulder, I knew what was about to happen. I braced myself, waiting for it to come.

But it didn’t. Derek pulled back, and I relaxed slightly – well, as much as you can with a knotted penis inside of you that was moving and sending you off to seventh (I vaguely remembered) orgasm of the  **_day_ ** .

Then, before I could even react, Derek leaned over me again, and bit down the crook of my neck. His hips swiveled powerfully, and his finger moved in and out with a vengeance to compliment the bite. I screamed so loudly my voice cracked, as my body convulsed, tightening around his finger and cock.

Derek held me down with his body, his left arm supporting my stomach, and he groaned into my neck, releasing his thick seed inside of me. I felt him throbbing as he spurted inside of me, his orgasm mixing with mine that was still trapped inside of me, barricaded by his knot.

He withdrew his finger from my second hole, and I moaned softly, half-glad that it was gone, but also half-sad that it was now gone.

A few seconds passed, and I felt his penis relax, back to his regular, still-rather-impressive size. He slid out of me, and backed away, releasing my body. My lower half collapsed to the bed and I lied there, legs spread out and arms under me as I felt our combined juices slide out of me, forming a puddle between my legs and soaking into my bed.

**IT’S SAFE.**

I panted heavily, trying to calm my racing heart. I was absolutely  **_exhausted_ ** . I couldn’t feel anything at all.

Derek scooped up my body, which stayed limp, and I whimpered, whining. I just wanted to lie there and fall into a coma. Derek chuckled, before placing me on my bed correctly, with my head on the pillows.

I was way too sweaty and hot for blankets, so I was glad Derek didn’t decide to cover me up. He lied down beside me, and it took all the strength I had to scoot in to cuddle up into him.

He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. Good. Let him do all the work.

I struggled to move my legs, but pouted when I couldn’t. I could feel his chest rumble as he chuckled again, before snaking one leg under my two and then another in-between. I smiled, content with the way our legs tangled.

I relished in the fact that his rough leg hairs brushed against my smooth, toned legs, and wiggled my feet, feeling them rub against his hairy calves.

“Your fascination with my body hair is quite concerning,” Derek commented, tucking my head into his chest. In response to that, I rubbed my cheek against his forearm, which was close by. “You’re so endearing…” he sighed out. “I love you.”

I smiled gently and relaxed my body, feeling my eyelids get heavier. “I love you, too…” I mumbled out.

Derek leaned down, kissing the top of my head gently. “Sleep, Sindy,” he said. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“Good…” I mumbled back. “I hate it when you leave…”

I blinked a couple more times, and when I blinked down, my eyelids just wouldn’t open again, and I fell into a sleep, buried in Derek’s arms and surrounded by his warmth.


	32. Getting It Done

**TUESDAY  
** **MARCH 22, 2011**

A couple hours later, I woke up to Derek kissing my head softly, nuzzling into my brown locks. I groaned as my back cracked under the strain and turned on my stomach.

I got on my hands and knees and exhaled deeply, before stretching. I let out a quiet groan, and felt Derek’s hand run down my body.

“No,” I whined, before sitting up. I sat back on my legs, keeping my thighs closed. “I can’t handle any more.” Derek’s lips curled in amusement. I crossed my arms, frowning at him. “I’m serious, Derek. Any more and accelerated healing or not, I wouldn’t be able to walk properly.”

… Was he even listening?

“Hey!” I called to my mate, whose eyes were trained on my breasts. “I know your fascination with my amazing boobs and all, but I’m _talking_ to you!”

“I’m well aware you are,” Derek replied. “By all means, keep yelling. Your chest bounces when you do.”

I flushed, and I could feel my cheeks get warmer. Derek’s eyebrows rose up and I pursed my lips before jumping out of my bed. I rushed to the restroom, and went to clean myself up.

As I washed my hands, I glanced up, and gasped at the image of me in my mirror. My hair was an absolute _mess_. I reached up, trying to smooth out the locks as best I could. My fingers got tangled in my hair, but… I couldn’t help it.

A bright smile beamed back at me in the mirror and I just felt so _happy_. Here I was, skipping school to spend time with my boyfriend, who was now someone I could _fully_ call my mate. I looked back at the reflection and observed the image in the mirror.

A young girl smiled back at me, her caramel-colored eyes twinkling brightly and full of life as her crazy, mangled chocolate locks framed her face. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, due to her mate that was still in her bedroom. To add to that, it trailed down her chest, stopping just before the curves of her soft, perky, naked breasts.

The girl in the mirror reached up, and I touched the invisible mark that I knew rested beneath my skin on the crook of my left shoulder. Tingles filled my body, trailing down my spine, and my nipples hardened.

I should stop. I could feel some light wetness coming.

I gave the girl in the mirror one last smile, before skipping out of the bathroom, running across the hall to enter my room again.

When I re-entered my room, Derek was putting on his shirt with his back to me. I glanced at my bed and saw that new sheets were replaced (thank God), and the bed was neatly made.

I skipped over to Derek, and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face into the area between his shoulder blades. “Thank you,” I said, snuggling into his warmth.

Derek turned around, and angled my head to look up at him. “I’d do anything for you,” he said, his chest rumbling against mine. He bent down, giving me a light peck. “Now get dressed,” he ordered, his right hand snaking down my back to pat my left butt cheek.

I moved to pull away, but just before I could fully step away, Derek’s left hand shot forward and got a nice grope of my right breast. I swatted his hand away before he could do anything else and darted to my closet.

Derek came up from behind me as I reached up to take a dress off the hangar. I was too lazy to put on more than was necessary. He grabbed the dress from me, and then slipped a material through my arms. With one quick glance, I realized it was white, lacey bra.

It hooked from the front, and Derek knew that as well, as his thumbs brushed against my nipples briefly before hooking together the material. Before he pulled his hands away, he cupped both of them, squeezing them firmly before releasing.

“I guess it’s better to be addicted to my boobs than drugs,” I shrugged, grabbing the dress. I slipped it on, brushing my hair over my shoulder. “Could you zip me up?”

Derek grabbed the zipper, tugging it up gently. Once it was completely zipped up, his arms snaked over my chest, groping me softly one more time, before trailing down my stomach. His hands then snaked up my dress, and I took in a sharp breath.

“I’m addicted to everything about you, Sindy,” Derek said into my ear. He nipped my ear gently, rubbing the top of my mound. He gently tugged on the curls there, and I moaned softly, before his hands slid out from underneath my dress. “We should go.”

“You can’t _do that_!” I whined, and Derek simply quirked an eyebrow before leaving my room. I frowned. There was no _way_ could wear any panties without them being ruined now.

_Fuck it._

I left my room, closing the door behind me. Who needs underwear? I walked down the stairs, and inwardly shuddered at the breeze. It actually felt kind of _good_.

_Note to self: Go commando more often._

Derek and I climbed into my car and I drove off, heading to the lair.

When we were outside, I popped open the door. The second I did, though, I jumped back in shock when Stiles’s jeep came rushing by, almost knocking right into me. He skidded to a stop and I went to scold him, when I smelled something.

Scott carried Erica out from the back, and Derek’s eyes widened in shock. He took the blonde Beta from Scott and told me, “We need to get her inside _now_.”

I nodded and dashed on ahead, throwing open the door, making way for Derek to move. We moved into the subway car, and Derek ordered Stiles, “Hold her up.”

My brother got on his knees quickly, supporting the spasming blonde. “Is she dying?” Stiles asked.

“She might,” Derek replied. He rolled up the sleeve of her black leather jacket. “Which is why this is gonna hurt.”

I heard a sickening crack and Erica cried out in pain, screaming. “You broke her arm?!” Stiles demanded.

“It’ll trigger the healing process,” Derek refuted. “I still gotta get the venom out. This is where it’s really gonna hurt.” The smell of blood permeated through the room, accompanied by Erica’s cries of pain as Derek dug his nails into her arm, causing the blood and venom to spurt out.

Erica collapsed back into Stiles’s arms, and he patiently wiped away the hair that got onto her face. “Stiles,” she breathed out. “You make a good Batman…” And then she fainted in his arms.

“Oh my God…” Stiles let out a shaky breath as Derek finished squeezing out the venom.

Once he was sure the venom was gone, I handed Derek a cloth. He took it, wiping the blood off his hands. “I’ll take care of it,” I said, taking the cloth. He nodded, and left the subway car, and Scott followed after him.

I gently wiped away the blood on Erica’s arm, and she groaned. “Set her down on the seats,” I told Stiles. I looked down at the bloodied cloth, and my nose wrinkled at the metallic smell. It was time to throw this thing away. I’d never be able to get rid of this smell.

I stepped out of the car, just as I heard Scott say, “We’ll do it on one condition. We’re gonna catch him, not kill him.”

My mate looked at my best friend, arching a brow. “And?”

“And we do it my way.”

**WEDNESDAY  
** **MARCH 23, 2011**

“Hi, Daddy!” I chirped, walking into my father’s office.

“Brought you some dinner!” Stiles announced as we took seats across from him. He handed Dad one of the bags, and then placed the larger of the two bags in front of me.

I reached in, grabbing my bacon burger and curly fries, while Stiles took out his own hamburger. I took a sip of my chocolate shake, as my father bit into his burger, and then proceeded to scrunch his face in disgust.

“Oh, what the hell is this?” he frowned.

“Veggie burger,” Stiles announced once I put down the shake. He took it and sipped it.

“Stiles,” Dad complained, “I asked for a hamburger.”

“Well, veggie is healthier,” Stiles declared. “We’re being healthy.” He showed Dad the salad he purchased. Great. Now I felt like a fat ass. But hey, I was a happy fat ass, so  _whatever_ .

“Your sister’s eating a bacon burger,” Dad outed me, gesturing to where I was.

I looked up mid-bite and frowned. I pulled away from my delicious burger and announced, “I’m a growing girl.”

“You haven’t grown an inch in two years,” Dad pointed out.

“… I burn calories faster,” I replied, before grabbing a curly fry. I threw it in my mouth and my dad looked at my meal in envy.

Dad sighed and flipped open his container, which revealed celery and carrot sticks. “Oh, hell, why are you trying two trying to ruin my life?”

“I’m trying to  _extend_ your life, okay?” Stiles quipped. “Could you just eat it? Sindy can continue being a fat, unhealthy butt.” I glared at him. “And tell us what you found?”

“No,” Dad shook his head. “I’m not sharing confidential police work with two teenagers.”

I chewed my burger as I looked past my father, seeing the board that he was working on to connect everything together. My brother saw my gaze and pointed at the board, “Is that it on the board behind you?”

My brother moved around, trying to get a better look. I rolled my eyes and just simply looked at it while taking another bite of my burger.

“Don’t look at that,” my dad ordered, but it was useless. We were curious buggers – especially Stiles. “Avert your eyes.”

“Okay.” Stiles moved around.

“Hey!”

“I see arrows!” Stiles exclaimed. “Pointing at pictures!”

“Okay, okay,  _stop_ !” Dad ordered, and I turned my attention back to him. He rolled his eyes at me and I shrugged, grabbing a curly fry. While I was much quieter than Stiles, I still had my own methods of giving my father a headache. “Fine,” he relented. “I found something. Mechanic and the couple who were murdered… They all had something in common.”

“All three?” Stiles inquired.

“Yeah,” Dad nodded. “You know what I always say: one’s an incident. Two’s a coincidence.”

“Three’s a pattern,” my brother and I supplied, though my voice was more muffled due to the food.  _What_ ? I’m  _hungry_ .

Derek might’ve made me work off a bunch off a few…  _ahem_ ,  **extra** calories after training was done. I love Derek, but  **man** . If I didn’t have the ability to heal quickly, I’d be walking all funny today.

… Actually, I  _was_ walking funny this morning, and I’m a werewolf. Can you imagine if I was still human? No wonder why Derek waited. That man is insatiable.

Oh. Right. Back to the Kanima investigation that my father didn’t really know was a Kanima investigation.

“The mechanic, the husband, the wife,” Dad listed. “All the same age: all twenty-four.”

“Wait, what about Mr. Lahey?” Stiles inquired, confused. “I mean, Isaac’s dad isn’t anywhere near twenty-four.”

“Which made me think that either  _A_ , Lahey’s murder wasn’t connected, or  _B_ , the ages were a coincidence, until I found this,” Dad explained, showing us a file. “Which would be  _C_ .” I peered at the file that Stiles had and saw the stamp, “DIED IN COMBAT” across the paper. “Did you know that Isaac Lahey had an older brother named Camden?”

Stiles looked over to me, like that explained everything. I swallowed the last of my food and shook my head. “Don’t look at me. We don’t really get to talking about families,” I said before looking down at the file again. “Died in combat, huh?”

“But if he were alive today, take on guess as to how old he’d be.”

“Twenty-four,” my brother and I chorused.

We quickly finished off the rest of our food, and I turned to look at the correlation chart my father had built. I sipped on my shake, and Stiles said, “Now what if same age means same class. I mean, did you think of that?”

“Yeah,” my dad replied. Then a beat of silenced passed by before he elaborated, “Well, I would’ve. I mean… Look, I just got Lahey’s file two hours ago.”

“Two hours?” Stiles inquired in disbelief. “Dad, people could be dying!”

“Yeah, I’m aware of that, thank you,” Dad responded dryly. I walked off, digging up all the Beacon Hills High School yearbooks I could find. A second later, my father and brother joined me.

I grabbed five books before slamming them on the desk. Stiles threw down three books, and Dad slapped a bunch of files on top.

I flipped through the Class of 2005 yearbook, when my brother exclaimed, “Okay, this is it!” He showed us the blue folder he held. “Class of 2006. They all went to Beacon Hills.”

I grabbed the correlating yearbook and flipped open the pages. I landed on the senior list page, and my eyes found a boy named Camden Lahey. “Here’s Isaac’s brother.”

“Alright,” Stiles said, looking at Dad and me. “So what if they all knew each other? I mean, two of them were married, so maybe they all just hung out.”

“Well, they could have had the same classes together,” Dad admitted, looking through a couple files. “They could’ve–” he broke off abruptly.

“What?” Stiles and I asked, snapping from our own searching.

“Same teacher,” Dad told us, and I peered down at the paper he was looking at.

“Harris,” Stiles sighed out. “They were all in his class?”

“All four,” Dad nodded. “And I don’t know how Mr. Lahey fits, but this…” he sighed out. “Kids, this is definitely a pattern. Sindy, hand me the 2006 yearbook. These names…” he mumbled. “We need faces.”

“Which ones?” I asked.

“Everyone in that chemistry class,” Dad said, picking up the phone, dialing a number. “If the killer’s not done killing –”

My brother looked at me and he breathed out through his nose. “One of them’s next…”

“Yeah,” Dad nodded. The person on the other end picked up, and he said, “Yeah. It’s Stilinski.”

My phone began to ring and I pulled it out of the pocket of Derek’s leather jacket, which I had borrowed. I barely saw Derek’s name on the screen before I swiped my hand over the screen, answering it. “Yeah?”

_“I’m outside. I need you.”_

“… Now?” I asked.

_“Yes, now,”_ Derek responded.  _“So come on out.”_

“But I’m kind of working…”

_“Leave that to Stiles. I need you right now. It’s about the plan to take down Jackson, and I need you and Isaac with me.”_

I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair. “Okay,” I replied. “I’ll be right out.” I hung up, slipping the phone back into the pocket.

“Something wrong?” Stiles asked, a pen dangling from his mouth, flipping through the yearbook while Dad was still on the phone.

“Derek needs me,” I replied. “It’s about You-Know-Who.”

“Ah,” Stiles nodded, understanding. “Gotcha. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take it from here.”

I smiled, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. “Keep me posted,” I told him. I looked at my dad and pointed to the door, showing that I needed to go. He nodded, and I hugged him briefly before jogging out of the room.

I left the station, and slipped into Derek’s Camaro, which, like he said, was parked outside.

“Where we going?” I asked, leaning forward. I pecked his lips shortly before leaning back in my seat, buckling my seat belt. I gave a wave to Isaac, who was in the back seat.

“To Deaton’s,” Derek replied, before driving off.

Within twenty minutes, we were outside Deaton’s. Scott unlocked the door for us, and his eyes moved from Derek, to me, and then to Isaac.

“What’s he doing here?” Scott asked, gesturing to Isaac.

“I need him,” Scott responded.

“I don’t trust him.”

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t trust you, either,” Isaac sighed out.

Derek stopped walking, almost making me bump into him. “You know what? And Derek really doesn’t care. Now where’s the vet? Is he gonna help us or not?”

“That depends,” an ever-patient voice said from the back. Dr. Deaton stepped out and looked at us. “Your friend, Jackson… Are we planning to kill him or save him?”

“Kill him.” “Save him.” Both Derek and Scott replied together.

“ _Save him_ ,” Scott stressed, glaring up at Derek. Derek pursed his lips, annoyed. He turned back to Deaton. “Save him.”

He led us to the back room, and I sighed, remembering the last time I was here.  _Boy_ was  _that_ not pretty.

Well, sweaty, shirtless Derek was. He was beautiful.  _Dying_ Derek wasn’t. I shuddered as Derek intentionally brushed past me, before scolding Isaac, who was about to touch whatever Deaton had placed down in front of us, “Watch what you touch.”

“So what are you?” Isaac asked, looking at Deaton. “Some kind of witch?”

“Witches are female, Isaac,” I informed, rolling my eyes. “Males are wizards. It’s basic  _Harry Potter_ .”

“My bad,” Isaac replied.

“No,” Deaton said, drawing our attention back to him. “I’m a veterinarian. Unfortunately, I don’t see anything here that’s going to be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin.”

“We’re open to suggestions,” Derek pushed.

“What about an effective  _offense_ ?” Isaac suggested.

“Can’t,” I shook my head.

“We already tried,” Derek elaborated. “I nearly took its head off, and Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up.”

“Has it shown any weaknesses?” Deaton looked at Derek and I, knowing we had encountered it multiple times.

Derek and I looked at each other. “It can’t swim,” I pointed out.

“Does that go for Jackson as well?”

“No,” Scott shook his head. “He’s the captain of the swim team.”

“Essentially, you’re trying to catch two people,” Deaton told us, making eye contact with each and every one of us before turning around to look for something. “A puppet,” he showed us a medallion. “And a puppeteer.”

He placed the medallion down on the cold, steel table. “One killed the husband, but the other had to take care of the wife… Do we know why?”

“I don’t think Jackson could do it,” Scott admitted. “His mother died pregnant, too, and she was maybe murdered. I think he couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else.”

So  _that’s_ what they were able to dig up? Maybe I should’ve stayed in school instead of ditching to mate with Derek.

… Ah, who am I kidding? No regrets on that part. Wait,  _focus_ , Sindy. You’re turning into a female Scott.

“How do you know it’s not part of the rules?” Isaac inquired. “The kanima kills murderers. If Jackson kills the wife, then the baby dies, too.”

“Then that means Jackson would have to kill himself,” I realized, seeing it went in a full circle. Isaac nodded in agreement.

“Does that mean your father was a murderer?” Scott looked up at the curly-haired boy.

Isaac developed a blank look on his face. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he was,” he admitted.

“Wai – wai – wait,” I interrupted, placing my hands on the table. All four males turned to look at me. “The book… it said they’re bonded in a way, right? What if… just  _what if_ , the kanima’s aquaphobia wasn’t coming from  _Jackson_ , but the person that’s controlling it?”

“What if,” Deaton started, taking out a jar of mountain ash. He began to pour it around the medallion, “Something that affects the kanima also affects its master.” Deaton shot right back, and I nodded.

“Meaning what?” Isaac looked at us, confused.

“Meaning we can catch them,” Scott realized. “Both of them.”

“It’s settled,” I said, tapping the table. “We catch Jackson. We find out who that sick bastard controlling him is.” All four looked at me, and nodded in agreement.

**FRIDAY  
** **MARCH 25, 2011**

We all piled out of Stiles’s jeep, and I slung my back over my shoulder just as Scott asked, “There’s gotta be some other way to get tickets, right?”

“It’s a secret show,” Stiles replied. “There’s only one way: and it’s a secret.”

I rolled my eyes, exasperated. I  _really_ didn’t want to ask Derek for money. Seventy-five dollars was a  _lot_ , and times three? Forget it.

We began to walk to in inside of the school, but then were stopped by a voice. “Hey,” a voice addressed.

I turned around, along with Stiles and Scott, to see Matt walking over to us. I furrowed my brows, wondering why he was coming over to us, but then I remembered Stiles and Scott were locked in detention with him the other day.

“Hi, Matt,” I addressed.

“Hey, Sindy,” Matt nodded to me before looking at the two boys. “Either of you guys know why no one’s getting suspended after what happened the other day at school?”

“Just forget about it,” Stiles suggested. “Nobody got hurt.”

“I…” Matt started, “I had a concussion.”

“Well, nobody got  _seriously_ hurt,” Stiles replied, and I could feel his annoyance. His heartbeat was speeding up, and I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

“I was in the ER for  _six hours_ .”

“Hey, do you wanna know the truth, Matt?” Stiles asked, looking at the photographer. “Your little  _bump on the head_ is about  **this** high,” he bent down, placing his hand just barely off the sidewalk, “on our list of problems right now!”

“Stiles,” I called, making my twin look at me. “Calm down. Deep breaths.” Stiles inhaled, and then exhaled. “Calm?” He nodded quickly. To normal people, that wasn’t calm, but that was as calm as Stiles was going to get. I patted my brother’s shoulder. “Good.”

As my brother and I talked, Scott was asking Matt about the tickets for the rave tonight. Scott had informed us that he had seen Matt when he went to buy tickets.

“I don’t like him,” Stiles declared after Matt walked away. “Hey, are you sure about this?”

“Last time, whoever’s controlling Jackson had to kill somebody because he didn’t finish the job, so what do you think he’s going to do this time?”

Stiles heaved a defeated sigh. “Be there to make sure it happens.”

After morning practice, I sat next to Danny, trying to ask for extra tickets to the rave. Scott, Stiles, and Isaac were standing behind us.

The door to Finstock’s office slammed open and the coach walked out. “Can anybody tell me where the hell Jackson is and why he missed morning practice?”

“I thought I told you to keep an eye on him,” Stiles and I scolded Scott, making the brunet werewolf sigh heavily.

“Stilinski!” Coach snapped, making my brother and I jump. He had such a loud voice… “Jackson?”

“Sorry, Coach,” Stiles replied. “I haven’t seen him since the last time I saw him.”

“Oh, and when was that?”

_Well,_ Stiles couldn’t necessarily said the last time the kanima showed up during detention. Just when I thought my brother was going to reply with a simple “detention,” he opened his mouth.

“Last time I saw him… was definitely the time I saw him last,” my brother quipped.

The back of my hand made contact with my brother’s abs, making him wince in pain. “You could’ve just said  _detention_ ,” I hissed quietly.

“Danny, tell Jackson no missing practice this close to the championships, okay?”

“Sure, Coach,” the goalie responded.

“That goes for  _all of you_ !” Finstock looked around at all the lacrosse players. He sighed to himself, “I should be coaching college…” before going back into his office.

Danny turned back to us, and looked at us apologetically. “Sorry, but I only got two myself.”

“Do you even have a date, yet?” Stiles inquired.

Danny frowned at my brother. “I’m working on it.”

“Okay, okay,” Stiles sighed out. “Hear me out. You give us the tickets, and you devote your life to abstinence and just–”

Isaac reached forward and grabbed Stiles and Scott from behind. Danny rolled his eyes before silently telling me goodbye, leaving. “How do you two losers even survive?” Isaac drawled.

“I like to think I’m half the reason why most of the time,” I raised my hand. Isaac smirked and shrugged in response.

“What are we supposed to do?” Scott hissed, looking back at the taller boy. “No one’s even selling.”

Just then, I spotted one of the freshmen on the team hand off tickets to another one… and there were three. Isaac, apparently, saw, too.

He patted Stiles’s chest briefly before saying, “Wait here, boys.” He started walking over to the freshman that had the tickets.

“What?” Scott snapped at me. “Is he gonna–?”

The sounds of crashing ensued around the locker room, as Isaac roughened the boy up a bit.

“Ow,” Stiles commentated. “Oh, my.”  _THUD!_ “Yup.”  _BANG!_ “That’s excessive.”  _CRASH!_ “That’ll bruise.”

“Ow…” Scott winced, rubbing the side of his head, even though no damage was inflicted on him.

“Wow,” Stiles sighed out. “ _Okay_ .” He looked down at me and said, “Nice work Derek’s putting in on handling all that anger.” I gave Stiles a dry smile in response.

Isaac walked back to us, and handed me a yellow ticket, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. I took it gratefully, and he placed Stiles and Scott’s tickets against their chest. The two boys, still in shock, grabbed them silently.

“Enjoy the show,” Isaac bade, before walking away.

After school, Stiles drove us to Deaton’s. We met with the vet in the back room, and he showed us a bottle, along with an injector.

“Ketamine?” Scott recognized.

“It’s the same stuff we use on the dogs, just a higher dosage,” Deaton replied. “If you or Sindy can get close enough to Jackson, it should slow him down enough to buy you some time.” I took the bottle of ketamine while Scott took the injector after Deaton placed it down on the table. “This,” Deaton said, showing us a bottle of mountain ash, “is some of what you’ll use to create the barrier. This part is for _you_ , Stiles. Only you.”

He placed the bottle of mountain ash on the table.

“Uh… that sounds like a lot of pressure,” Stiles said. “Can we maybe find a slightly less pressure-filled task for me?”

“Just take it, Stiles,” I sighed. My brother did as I told him.

“It’s from the Mountain ash tree, which is believed by many cultures to protect against the supernatural,” Deaton informed. “This office is lined with ashwood, making it difficult for someone like Scott or Sindy to cause me any trouble.”

“Okay, so then what?” Stiles inquired, placing the bottle back on the table. “I just spread this around the whole building and then either Jackson or whoever’s control him can’t cross it?”

“They’ll be trapped,” Deaton informed.

“Doesn’t sound too hard,” Scott tried to reassure his best friend.

“Not all there is,” Deaton admitted. “Think of it like gunpowder. It’s just powder until a spark ignites it. _You_ need to be that spark, Stiles.”

“If you mean light myself on fire, I don’t think I’m up for that.”

I sighed heavily and rubbed the back of my neck. Yes, Stiles was acting like this, and most of the time, it half-exasperated and half-amused me. But I **always** knew that when I needed to, I could count on him to get it done.

I looked down at the bottle of ketamine in my hand and gently squeezed my hand around it.

I just hope I could get it done, as well.


	33. Rave

**FRIDAY  
** **MARCH 25, 2011**

I looked into the reflection of my full body mirror, and bent my knee slightly, smoothing out my white mini skirt. I must say, my legs look fantastic.

They were toned and though not as tan as they usually were pre-season, they still had some color, and looked longer in the skirt and black pumps on my feet.

They added to my height, making me look around somewhere around 5’6 instead of my usual 5’2.

My skirt didn’t cover much, but to be honest, I was probably more dressed than the more daring girls. I had to go undercover, right? But I had to remember to not bend too much.

Just between you and me, I wasn’t wearing underwear like, at all. I’m hoping for some nice quality Derek/Sindy time after this mission, and I wanted to surprise him.

Instead of wearing a tight tank (which would do  _nothing_ to hide the fact that I was braless), I wore a black sleeveless top. To finish off the ensemble, I threw on Derek’s jacket, which actually covered me more than my own clothes did.

Jeez. How do girls wear clothes like this all the time? I had to ask Erica that.

My father and brother weren’t home yet, and I was glad for that. I don’t think they’d let me out of the house if they saw me like this.

I didn’t bother applying make-up, deciding to go  _au natural_ . Once I was ready, I threw my keys and phone – all I needed tonight – into the pocket of Derek’s leather jacket.

I climbed down the stairs and my heels clicked against the floor as I walked outside. Sliding into the driver’s seat of my car, I started it, and took off, heading to the club, where I was going to meet Scott and Stiles.

I waited inside my car, not wanted to step outside. I didn’t trust the males around these areas, and I had a good reason to, too. I was waiting for about half an hour, before Stiles’s jeep appeared.

The two climbed out of the car, and Stiles opened the trunk. I popped open my door, and stepped out.

I approached the two, not unaware of the looks that I was gathering. As I got closer, the two looked up from their conversation to me, and their jaws dropped.

“What the  _hell_ are you wearing?” Stiles demanded. “ _Please_ tell me you have extra clothes in your trunk.”

“I do,” I responded honestly. “But it’s not really suitable for clubbing, now is it?”

Stiles sighed heavily. “I should’ve brought a baseball bat…” I smiled, satisfied at his response.

I turned to look at Scott, who was still stunned. I furrowed my brows.  _Was that...?_ “Uh, Scott?” I called. I snapped my fingers in front of his face, and he jumped, before shaking his head to clear it. “You got a little drool right there, buddy.”

Using the back of his sleeve, he wiped away the saliva that had gathered there. I chuckled quietly, before turning back to Stiles. “Okay, so you guys ready?”

“With you dressed like that?” Stiles quipped. “ _No_ !”

I rolled my eyes. “Stiles, it’s fine,” I sighed. “Scott, Isaac, and Erica will be in there with me. I won’t get hurt.”

“I could care less about Jackson now,” Stiles replied. “Now I’m worried about at  _least_ a few hundred guys’ eyes  _eyeing_ my sister! You know how disturbing that is?!”

For some odd reason, I felt his mood was really off, even though he was trying to spaz like usual. I furrowed my brows, and he sighed heavily. “Grab the other bag,” he said to Scott.

“I can’t,” Scott replied. “Remember, Deaton said you have to do it alone.”

Stiles let out a frustrated sigh. “Okay, this plan is really starting to suck.”

“Most of our plans do,” I pointed out. I don’t think there has ever been a legitimately  _good_ plan. They were all just plans that were able to be executed and get the job done… with Stiles as clean-up.

Except that one time when my pack was outside Scott’s house. Allison had to clean that up, because Derek, Stiles, Scott, and I had to chase after Jackson.

All of a sudden, Scott noticed something. “No,” he whispered. “Not here, not now.” Without any warning, he took off, rushing into the club.

“Scott!” Stiles cried. “What am I supposed to –  **plan officially sucks** !”

“Okay, Stiles,” I said, placing my hand on the jeep, leaning against it. “What’s up?”

“What do you mean what’s up?” Stiles replied. “There’s the roof, and past that, there’s the night sky, which is actually not bad tonight.”

I gave him a hardened look. “Do you  _really_ think that’s gonna fool me?”

Stiles sighed heavily, shoulders slumping. “No,” he admitted. A couple of seconds passed before he said, “Dad was fired because of me.”

I stood up straight. “Wait, what?”

Stiles looked at me sadly and repeated, “Dad was fired because of me.”

“Did he actually  _say_ that?” I asked, astonished. There’s no  _way_ Dad would do that to Stiles!

“No,” Stiles frowned. “But he implied it. He said it was decided that the son of a police chief stealing police property and having a restraining order filed against him by one of the town’s most respected attorneys didn’t reflect well on the county.”

I frowned deeply.

“How could I be so stupid?” Stiles groaned, weakly hitting the bag of mountain ash he had. “It’s my fault Dad got fired because I just  _had_ to steal that van.”

“I’ll admit,” I started, “it was a stupid idea. But, Stiles… you did it with good intentions.” I placed a hand on his slumped shoulder. “We don’t have many options to actually stop Jackson, and you did what you thought was best during that time. Like I said, our plans aren’t the best. They never are. But you know what, Stiles?”

My brother looked at me.

“We’ll get through this, okay?” I said, rubbing his shoulder gently. “You  _know_ Dad’s the town’s best damn sheriff, ever. They’re gonna want him back. Trust me, once this is over, he’ll be reinstated.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because you have to believe, Stiles,” I told him. “Yeah, believing isn’t everything, but it’s the first step. Believing leads to trust, and once you can trust people – trust  _us_ – things will start falling into place, because with everyone’s support, there’s no  _way_ things will get worse. They’ll get better, because you’re believing and trusting in a good cause that’ll be better for all of us. So stop beating yourself up, and let’s kick some kanima ass, yeah?”

The corner of Stiles’s lips twitched before he broke out into a wide smile. “Thanks, Sindy.” He reached down, and engulfed me in a hug.

“Any time, Stiles,” I replied, returning the action. “Remember I’m always here for you… even if you decide to go all psychopathic on us.”

Stiles laughed softly. “I don’t think that’ll happen any time soon.”

I smiled. “Me neither. I better go into the club.” I gestured to the entrance. Stiles nodded, and I walked off, heading inside.

Upon granted entry, I could hear the music pulsing through my veins as I entered the club. The lights flashed brightly and bodies molded together.

I honed in on my senses, trying to find where Scott was. It didn’t take me long, because he was off to the side, arguing with Allison.

I made eye contact with Scott, and he broke away from Allison.

“Scott!” she cried.

“Stay out of the way!” he exploded, before storming over to me. “Allison told the Argents,” he informed me quickly. “They know it’s Jackson.”

“What?!” I exclaimed, turning my head to look at the older girl. She was looking over at us, and I turned back to Scott. “Are you serious? What now?”

“I – I – I have a plan,” he said. “I need you to handle Jackson, though.” He handed me the drug and injector. “Be careful, Sindy.”

I gave him a small smile. “Why do you people think I can’t take care of myself?” I inquired.

Scott smiled softly, giving me a quick hug. He moved to walk away, but then turned back. “Oh, and Sindy?!” he called over the music, since he was a few feet away from me.

“What?!” I yelled back.

“You look beautiful tonight!” I smiled and Scott took off.

I whirled around, and almost bumped right into Allison. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, putting the items in the pocket of my leather jacket before holding the taller girl steady. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I need to talk to Scott,” she said, looking past me, trying to find the boy.

I frowned. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” I replied. “How do I know you’re not going to just extract some more information from Scott and give it to your father and grandfather?”

“Why don’t you  **trust** me?!” Allison exclaimed.

“Because I almost  **did** !” I exploded. “And  **that’s** what’s pissing me off the most! You know after that night in Scott’s house, I thought that I could begin to trust you, because you love Scott. But what do you do? You  **tell** your father and grandfather about  **Jackson** ! Now not only do we have to worry about that damned, stuck-up co-captain, but now we have to worry about your family  **on our ass** because you outed who he was! We had in  _under control_ ! Now just stay out of our way and enjoy your  _date_ with Matt!”

I stormed off, trying to find Isaac and Erica, who I  _know_ were already here. I had felt their presences a couple seconds ago.

I quickly found them lurking in the shadows and Isaac’s eyebrows raised in response. He let out a low whistle. “Looking good, Sindy.” Erica nodded in agreement.

“Thanks,” I said shortly, before bringing their heads down so we could talk quietly. “The Argents know about Jackson. Scott went to make sure they don’t  _completely_ ruin the plan.”

“Are you kidding?” Erica scoffed. “How’d they find out?”

“Allison,” I narrowed my eyes. “Anyway, we need to get close to him so  _you_ ,” I looked at Isaac, “can put the ketamine in his system.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re taller and Erica and I need to distract Jackson,” I replied simply. “Unless  _you_ wanna grind up against him.” I held out the injector and drug.

“I’m good with the drug,” Isaac replied, taking the materials.

“You need to inject it directly into his vein, okay?” I explained. Isaac nodded. “Good…” I sighed, looking around the club. “Now let’s go find Jackson.”

I danced with the music, weaving my way through the crowd. Isaac and Erica close behind me. It was then as I danced, I felt an arm snake up my leg, squeezing my thigh.

I gripped the wrist tightly, and the owner of the hand cried out in pain. “Hey!” I snapped. “Hands off, buddy!”

I threw his hand away and he gripped it in pain. “Bitch!” he cursed at me.

It was then he was knocked off his feet, and I looked up to see Isaac standing there. “Whoops,” Isaac said unapologetically.

“I see him!” Erica exclaimed, and I whipped my head. I caught Jackson heading right to the DJ, and Erica moved ahead, grabbing his head.

I came up from behind, and grinded my body against Jackson as he held Erica’s body against him. It was then Isaac and Erica let out pained cries, barely audible through the music.

I crouched down, avoiding Jackson’s attack.

“He belongs to me,” a demonic, dark voice said from Jackson’s mouth. I dodged his other attack, and he stalked off.

“Isaac! Erica!” I said.

“I’m fine!” Isaac yelled back. I felt my phone vibrate harshly and pulled it out. It was Stiles.

I picked up, and screamed into the mic, “Stiles! I can’t talk right now! Jackson’s getting away! Sorry!”

_“But Sindy, I’m stuck out here with just a handful of mountain ash and I have like, fifty feet left to go!”_

“I believe you can do it, Stiles!” I yelled back, before hanging up. I watched as Isaac got up, rushing over to Jackson. He injected the drug into Jackson’s neck, and the boy collapsed.

“We need to get him out of here,” I said as Isaac dragged Jackson’s limp body.

“There was an empty room just outside the club near the entrance we took,” Erica informed.

“Let’s go,” I said. I followed the two out of the club, and pulled out my phone, calling Stiles.

_“I did it, Sindy!”_

“Great job!” I complimented. “We got Jackson. We’re gonna be in the side room on the… west entrance of the club.”

_“I’ll be right there.”_

“And Stiles?”

_“Yeah?”_

“I knew you could do it.” Without waiting for his reply, I hung up.

We entered the empty room, and Isaac tossed Jackson’s body onto the lone chair that was there. We looked at Jackson’s unconscious body, when the door opened.

Isaac and Erica tensed and Stiles screamed, “No, no, no! Just me! It’s just me! Don’t freak.” He closed the door, locking it, before looking at Jackson. “He okay?”

“Well…” Isaac said, approaching the co-captain. “Let’s find out.” He pulled out his claws, and went to hit Jackson, but his arm was caught. Isaac groaned in pain as Jackson’s still-unconscious-body twisted his arm, before releasing him.

Isaac retreated back to where we were, holding his wrist in pain.

“Okay, no one does anything like that again, okay?” Stiles declared.

“Works for me, I responded.

“I thought the ketamine was supposed to put him out,” Isaac winced.

“Yeah, well, apparently, this is all we’re gonna get. So, let’s just hope that whoever’s controlling him just decided to show up tonight,” Stiles responded.

Jackson’s eyes suddenly snapped open, but his irises were rolled up, showing that he wasn’t himself. It was further emphasized when his voice came out distorted as he said, “I’m here. I’m right here with you.”

“Jackson?” Stiles asked, approaching him slowly. I tensed, ready to attack if I needed to. “Is that you?”

“Us,” Jackson hissed out. “We’re all here.”

“Are you the one killing people?”

“We are the ones killing murderers.”

“So all the people you’ve killed so far–”

“Deserved it.”

“See, we got a little rule book that says you only go after murderers,” Stiles said.

“Anything can break if enough pressure’s applied.”

“Alright, so the people you’re killing are all murderers then?”

“All,” Jackson insisted. “Each. Every one.”

“Well, who did they murder?” Stiles inquired.

“Me,” Jackson responded, and my eyes widened. Okay, first werewolves, then kanimas, and now  _ghosts_ . Did  _vampires_ also exist?

“Wait, what?” Stiles asked. “What do you mean?”

“They murdered  _me_ ,” Jackson insisted. I tensed as Jackson’s eyes turned yellow with black slits, and his sclera turned a blood red. “They murdered  _me_ !”

Jackson was slowly transforming, as his skin darkened into scales and his nails grew into long, clear claws.

“Okay, alright,” Stiles said, eyes trained on Jackson’s transforming body. “More ketamine. The man needs ketamine. Come on!"

“… We don’t have any more,” Isaac admitted, holding up the empty bottle.

“You used the whole bottle?” Stiles and I asked Isaac.

Jackson stood up and roared as us, before he started spasming, transforming.

“Um… okay. Out. Everybody out,” Stiles said before pushing me out the door. Erica unlocked it quickly, and we rushed out.

“Go, go, go, go!” Isaac urged. We slammed the door shut, pressing our backs to it in hopes it would contain Jackson.

“Okay, find something to move in front of the door!” Stiles ordered, but then Jackson burst through the steel wall, and I watched on with wide eyes.

“Um… I don’t think we need to,” I said slowly. I quickly grabbed Stiles’s hand, and we sprinted for the south entrance, in hopes of finding Derek… or at  _least_ Scott.

Just then, Derek came running towards us, and I heaved out a heavy sigh. Stiles ran over to Derek to meet him half way, explaining, “Hey, um, so we kind of lost Jackson inside, but it’s–”

He was abruptly cut off when he didn’t hear my footsteps after him. I frowned, an invisible barrier blocking me from coming outside. “Oh my God. It’s working. Oh! This is – I did something!”

“Just what are you wearing?” Derek asked, looking up and down at me.

“Clothes,” I replied from behind the barrier.

“It’s not very appropriate,” Derek pointed out. All of a sudden, he glared, but it wasn’t at me, but more like… behind me. I turned around, and saw a tall man’s eyes widen before he continued on.

“Thank you!” Stiles exclaimed.

“I think she looks hot,” Isaac quipped.

“Shut up!” Derek and Stiles exclaimed at the same time, making the curly-haired boy jump.

“Um… shouldn’t we be finding Jackson instead of talking about how I’m dressed?” I inquired. “He’s still–” I was cut off by the sound of a howl, making the back of my neck tingle. “Scott,” I said shortly, before darting off in the direction I heard the howl… the howl of pain.

Before I disappeared around the corner, I could hear Derek yelling at my brother, but tuned him out. I had to save Scott.

I found the source coming from a warehouse, and broke the door open. Immediately, suddenly felt woozy, unable to breathe. I felt something stab through my back. I fell to the ground onto my knees and gasped for breath.

“And here’s a little Beta…” a taunting, feminine voice drawled. I glanced up, feeling my healing abilities kick in. As the door was still open, the vapor was disappearing, making it still hard for me to breathe, but I could move.

“All we’re missing now is an Alpha…” Allison’s mother taunted.

There was suddenly a ferocious roar from behind, and Allison’s mother was tackled away. “Be careful what you wish for. Sindy, get Scott!” Derek ordered, before fighting with the woman.

I got up onto my feet, and rushed over to Scott, who was lying on the ground. I grabbed him, hoisting him half over my shoulder, before rushing out of the storage room.

Derek was then thrown into me, and I was dazed, almost falling over on my ass with Scott, but I thankfully somehow managed to keep my balance. I glanced up, and saw that Allison’s mother was gone.

Derek grabbed the other half of Scott’s body, and together, we dragged him out. Once we were outside, I inhaled deeply, taking in the night air. I was still slightly light-headed from the vapor (which I could only assume was from wolfsbane), and sighed heavily.

“We need to get him back to Deaton,” Derek told me. I nodded and he took over carrying Scott’s body. “Stiles, you take Isaac and Erica. We’ll get Scott to Deaton,” he ordered once we met up with everyone.

My brother, thankfully, didn’t object, and nodded. The three of them piled into his jeep, and he took off.

Meanwhile, Derek placed Scott into the back seat of my car, before climbing into the passenger seat. I started the car, lowered the windows, and took off.

“Are you okay?” Derek asked. “I smell your blood.”

“I’m fine,” I responded shortly, wincing when I shifted in my seat. “I can feel myself healing. It’s only a light stab wound. Nothing fatal.”

He nodded, and reached over the console, grabbing my right hand. He entwined our fingers together, and I drove to the vet clinic as fast as I could.

When we arrived, I got out of the car, pounding on the locked back door, while Derek went to grab Scott. Deaton, seeing us, opened the door quickly, and ushered us inside.

I received a text from Stiles as we watched Deaton look over Scott, saying he, Isaac, and Erica went out to eat. How cute. My older brother was bonding with my packmates.

“Thank you,” Derek exhaled once Deaton was done. He stood up, and I sighed, standing with him. “Let’s go. Scott can call Stiles when he wakes up.”

I nodded, before standing up with him. I gave Scott a small kiss on the forehead, before walking away, leaving through the back door.

“You bit Allison’s mother,” I said as I drove through the streets.

“I did,” Derek replied. “There wasn’t a choice. Besides, they have a rule. If one is ever bitten, they’ll have to take their own life before the next full moon before they can transform.”

“… So she’s going to die?”

"If she follows the code, yes,” Derek replied. “Feeling guilty that she has to die?” I pulled the car into park once I arrived in front of the lair.

“… Am I a bad person for not feeling guilty?” I inquired, throwing my keys in the pocket of my jacket. “I mean… she tried to kill Scott, and probably would’ve killed me, too, before you showed up.”

Derek reached for me, and cradled my face softly. “I’d never let anything happen to you.”

“I know…” I whispered softly in response. Derek captured my lips and kissed me passionately, before releasing me. We got out of my car, and I followed him inside.

I held out his hand for me to take, and I slipped my hand into his palm. He led me down the stairs, and into the subway car. He pulled me flush against him, and I moaned softly, feeling my body mold against his.

I looked up, moving in to kiss him, but he pulled away, taking a step back. His eyes flashed red and he said, “Don’t tell me you’ve been walking around like that all night long.”

“And if I was…?” I purred, running my blunt nails against the fabric of his dark grey Henley. I looked at up through my eyelashes and batted them innocently.

He growled, before grabbing my hips. He pressed his body up against mine and stepped forward. I took a step back out of reflex, and he pushed me gently, leading me to sit on one of the seats of the car.

Derek bent down, looking at me with narrowed eyes. His hands fell on my knees, brushing over my inner thighs. Then, he growled lowly and asked, “Why is there another male scent on you?”

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. “I was at a rave, Derek…”

“No,” he replied. “I mean why does it smell like someone touched you  _here_ ?” In response to that, he grabbed my right thigh, squeezing it.

I responded softly with a moan, feeling a tingle travel up my leg as Derek massaged my leg. “Someone grabbed me in the club,” I responded earlier. “I – I told him to keep his hands off me.”

“He better have,” Derek growled, eyes flashing red. “ _No one_ but  _I_ can touch you. It looks like I’ll have to remind everyone that you’re  _mine_ .”

He crashed his lips onto mine, and I moaned into his mouth. His hands groped my body sensually, before grabbing the flaps of my jacket. He threw it aside, and I heard it hit the window of the door before falling onto the ground.

He dropped onto his knees, and I bent down, wrapping my arms around his neck, kissing him. I nipped and suckled at his plump lips, scratched gently by his beard. He growled lowly, before reaching for the straps of my tank top.

Derek pulled them down, and I took my hands off of him. My breasts popped out from the top of my loose tank, and he growled as the nipples hardened from being exposed to the cool air. Immediately, he dived for my right one, nipping and suckling on it like a newborn.

I giggled softly at the imagery, imagining a baby Derek sucking my breasts.

“What’s so funny?” Derek inquired, pulling away from my breast. His hands immediately replaced his mouth, and he quietly massaged my breasts.

“You’re like a baby,” I commented. He arched a brow and then pinched my nipples gently. I moaned in response, and elaborated quickly, “You just like nipping and sucking on them… and groping them. Makes me wonder if we ever have pups, how are they gonna eat if you keep hogging my boobs?”

“We’ll feed them baby formula,” Derek replied simply, and went dived back down, this time attacking my other breast.

I moaned breathlessly, throwing my head back against the seat. “H – How are we going to get rid of all my milk?”

Derek pulled back briefly before replying, “I’ll drink it,” before diving back to my breasts. I moaned softly at the idea and at the way Derek’s tongue worked over me.

Derek’s tongue flicked over the tip, and then bit down gently on it. His right hand, now free, moved to my thigh, and I instinctively widened my legs, granting him access. His rubbed my inner thighs gently, squeezing the flesh sensually.

“Push up your skirt,” Derek ordered huskily, pulling his head back. I lifted my hips briefly, listening to him. I tugged at the material, and whimpered at the feeling of my wetness being completely exposed to the cold air. “So wet…” Derek murmured.

He took his index and middle finger, and rubbed my outer lips. My curls moved with his movements, and I moaned a bit louder, propping my heels onto the two seats beside me, spreading my legs, exposing myself to him.

Derek bent his head down, and I moaned softly, feeling his hot breath tickling my labia. He leaned forward, and I groaned loudly, my hands flying to my breasts, squeezing them as he flattened his tongue over my wet slit.

“You’re absolutely dripping,” Derek said, his voice a deep rumble. “You always act like a good girl, but in reality, you’re a bad one, aren’t you?”

“ _Yes_ !” I moaned, loving the vibrations his voice left.

Derek grinned up at me, and stuck two fingers inside me, which slid in completely easily. The two of us let loose equal sounds of pleasure. He began to move his fingers in and out of me, before his nose buried into my curls, wiggling against my clit. His tongue joined his digits at my slit and I arched my back, crying out his name.

“Oh! Derek!” I exclaimed erotically. “ _Yes_ !” I cried when he added another finger, curling them inside me. “Right there!”

He pulled out his fingers, and I whimpered at the loss. All of a sudden, his fingers appeared at my lips. “Open,” he ordered.

My jaw dropped on its own accord, and he slipped the three digits that were originally inside me in my mouth. I moaned at the taste, closing my mouth around his fingers, as he thrust them in and out of my upper cavern.

Even without the fulfillment inside me, he was still working up a storm down there. His tongue flicked over my clit furiously, and I could feel my wetness spreading to coat the tops of my inner thighs.

Once I finished lapping away my essence of Derek’s fingers, he pulled away from me. I jutted my bottom lip out as he stood up in front of me.

My chest moved up and down as I attempted to steady my breathing, and that didn’t escape Derek’s notice as he reached down his own body. I bit my bottom lip in anticipation, watching his large hands move to his jeans. He unbuttoned them quickly, before unzipping them.

He popped open the button on his boxers, and I moaned softly when he popped out of the hole. I reached forward, stroking the large vein on the underside of him, and he let out his own moan, and I leaned forward, kissing the tip softly before flicking my tongue over the bead of liquid that had gathered upon my kiss.

I might’ve tasted sweet and thick, but I loved Derek’s bittersweet thickness more.

“Lean back,” Derek order. “Spread those legs. I want to see your beautiful, wet pussy.”

I shivered at his words. “C – Could you keep talking like that?” I asked meekly.

Derek’s eyes went from between my legs to my eyes in a split second. He cocked a brow, before recovering quickly, hiding the surprise with amusement. “If you spread your legs.”

I bit my lower lip, and spread my legs as wide as they would go. “Good girl,” Derek complimented. “Well… I actually can’t say that,” he amended, stalking towards me. I kept my eyes trained on his dick, which was standing tall and proud. “You want my cock in your wet little pussy?”

I moaned softly, feeling a trickle of liquid escape from me, trailing down my perineum.

He walked over to me, and placed the underside of his dick right on top of my clit. He rubbed a couple of times, before sliding inside me smoothly. At our connection, our groans combined, echoing in the empty subway car.

He began to move inside of me, slowly, and he asked, “Who would’ve thought dirty talking turned you on?” His left hand went up to my breast, grabbing it. “My ex-virginal Sindy, a kinky little bad girl of a minx.”

“Yours,” I choked out, arching my chest into his hold. “Please, Derek. Faster.”

“Oh?” Derek inquired, speeding up ever the slightest. “This good enough?”

“Faster.”

A bit more. “How about now?”

“ _Faster_ .”

“Now?”

“ _Faster!!_ ” I cried out, before Derek pounded into me with amazing speed. “Oh,  _yes_ !” I screamed beneath him. He lifted up my right leg, supporting it with his left forearm underneath me. “ _Harderrrr_ !” I purred loudly, my chest rumbling.

He slammed into me so hard the slapping sound echoed, accompanied by my surprised yelp.  _Wow_ . That was  _hard_ ! “You’re so fucking dirty, Sindy,” he said, his right hand running up my inner left thigh. “I bet you’d love this, won’t you?”

My eyes snapped open in shock when the top of his palm grinded against my clit. I screamed, arching my back into his body as he worked me like crazy down there.

“ _Derek_ !” I wailed, snapping my eyes to look at him. His piercing green eyes bore tight into me, and I breathed heavily, gasping for breath as he pounded into me while rubbing at my clit. My thighs began to quake, and I felt an impending orgasm coming.

“Oh God!” I cried, breaking eye contact to throw my head back. “I’m so close! Please!” I bucked my hips to him and he rolled his palm over my clit in response. I babbled incoherently beneath him, and he rubbed faster.

“Squirt for me, Sindy,” Derek ordered, angling himself inside me. I screamed as he pushed into me, hitting my g-spot. He continued to thrust into me rhythmically, moving his hand with each thrust.

My toes began to curl inside my heels, and my voice cracked as I screeched loudly beneath him, before I felt a long, deep gush escape from me, splashing all over my thighs and pelvis. I shook beneath him as Derek continued his rubbing, shuddering from reaching my high.

He pulled his hand away from my clit once I finished, and he languidly moved inside of me. I moaned softly beneath him, collapsing back into the seat in exhaustion. I cracked open my eyes, and groaned the sight before me.

Derek, still completely dressed, sans the zipper of his pants, was licking his wet hand, which was coated in my essence. His eyes met mine as his pink tongue stuck out, swirling between his digits as he thrust into me at a slow pace.

“Absolutely perfect,” he said, once he finished his short drink. He hoisted my other leg over his forearm, and then stood so he was completely in front of me. I moaned when he thrust in, and didn’t pull back. His hands reached forward, grabbing the top of the subway seats, framing my head.

My butt lifted slightly, and I was glad I was flexible.

When my eyes met his again, he resumed his fast, furious pace. A long, drawn out moan fell from my lips as I closed my eyes, head falling back as I felt the pit in my stomach quickly get full again.

Derek bucked into me, and I gripped his wrists tightly as he continued to pound into me with wild abandon. My gasps sounded more like hiccups, as I bounced every now and then due to a particularly rough thrust. I think it was because I was slumping off the seat, and he was trying to keep me steady.

His hips moved quickly, and I screamed beneath him, the sounds complimented by his grunts and the slapping of our wet skin together. I vaguely heard something in the back of my head, but quickly tuned it out, as my orgasm drew nearer and nearer.

“Derek!” I yelled out. “I’m close!” I warned. “I’m so close!”

“Me, too,” Derek struggled out. His head dropped, and I emitted a low groan when his tongue brushed over my mark. He nipped down, and I screamed, crying out as I cummed around him, squeezing him tightly.

Derek let out his own groans, and pulsed inside me quickly. He let out his own roar, and I squealed when he came inside me. He slowly pushed in and out of me, throbbing inside me as he spilled his cum inside of me.

He then pulled out of me and we both breathed heavily as he looked down, observing me. I could feel his eyes as he looked down at where my pussy was, and I could feel his seed drip out of me slowly, trickling out onto the floor of the subway car, where it mixed with my own juices from earlier.

_“Oh, shit,”_ I heard someone curse, and Derek and I tensed. My eyes widened in shock and I pulled my tank top on and stood up quickly, brushing down my skirt while Derek tucked himself in.

_“Shh!”_ a voice hissed.

I smelled the air, and once I sniffed past Derek’s and my scents, I could smell and sense we had company. Four others, to be exact.

I exchanged a look with Derek and signaled for him to go. He rolled his eyes, and walked over to the door, sliding it open.

“Hey, uh, Derek,” Scott greeted awkwardly. I peeked my head out of the subway car, and slowly stepped out, not wanting any sudden movements to cause more of Derek’s sperm to slip out of me. I quickly walked over to a crate, sitting down on it to avoid any unwanted liquids slipping out. Scott gave me an awkward wave. “Sindy.”

“Scott,” I greeted flatly, pushing down my  _oh-shit_ face. Isaac and Erica had equivalent looks of amusement/awkwardness on their faces, while my brother was just purely horrified.

I looked over at Derek and he quirked an eyebrow at me, not at all disturbed.  _What? How was he not?!_

“That was worse than the shower one,” Stiles finally said, looking at me. “You guys should have a  _Do Not Disturb_ sign outside ‘cause… uh… it could be worse. Like… we could’ve walked in and actually  _see_ you guys doing the deed, so…  _yeah_ .”

_Oh God._

“We’re mates,” Derek said shortly. I only hoped that he’d elaborate a bit more. “It’s only right for us. It’s probably  _you_ guys who should’ve been more aware. After all, three of the four of you are werewolves.”

“But you two are, too!” Stiles cried out. “And dude, you’re lucky I’m actually not freaking out about you banging my sister! Did you know the age of consent in California is 18?! That counts as statutory rape! And  _don’t say_ it wasn’t sex! It totally was! I know these things! I’m a teenaged boy!”

“Stiles!” Scott and I cried at the same time. Scott was completely mortified and I… I just wanted to forget this happened. I threw my hands over my burning face and let out a small groan.

“I think you did enough of that already,” Isaac commented casually. I heard the sound of someone punching, then a thud, and Isaac’s groan of pain. I peeked out from between my fingers and saw Isaac on the ground, Derek having a fist formed.

“… Wait,” Stiles realized. “Did you say  _mates_ ?”

Derek sighed, irritated. “Yes, Stiles.”

Stiles whipped his head towards me. “So in the future he’s  **definitely** going to be my brother-in-law now?!” He groaned loudly and flailed his arms wildly, jumping up and down. “No! Derek Hale is officially my future brother-in-law!”

“What the hell is a mate?” Scott asked.

“Don’t you know  _anything_ ?” Stiles exclaimed. “It’s a partner for life. Werewolves only mate once in their lifetime, so once they find them, that’s it. There’s no one else. Derek and Sindy have mated. Ergo, they’re gonna be together forever now and  _I_ am going to be related to that sourwolf by  _law_ !”

I looked over at Derek once again.

_Well_ , not only did we have each other for life, but now we  _both_ had to deal with Stiles for life.


	34. In The Woods

**WEDNESDAY  
** **MARCH 30, 2011**

I watched as Derek crouched down, opening his  _oh-so_ fun box of restraints. Even though I was supposed to be paying attention, I couldn’t help but notice how  _sexy_ he was in his grey A-shirt. I withheld the purr that threatened in my chest, causing a lump to form in my throat.

A quick glance from Derek showed that he was well-aware of my pheromones, but he focused on the task at hand.

“What’s that?” Isaac inquired, crouching down to touch the Celtic symbol that was marked on the inside of the lid. I recognized it as the same symbol – the triskele – as Derek had on his back, between his shoulder blades.

“It’s a triskele,” Boyd answered, leaning against the subway car, making us all turn to him. “Spirals mean different things: past, present, future; mother, father, child.”

“Know what it means to me?” Derek quizzed, looking at the largest of all his Betas.

“Alpha, Beta, Omega?” the dark-skinned boy questioned.

Derek’s eyebrows raised, impressed. “That’s right,” he nodded. “It’s a spiral,” he explained, standing up. “Reminds us that we can all rise to one or fall to another. Betas can become Alphas, but Alphas can also fall to Betas, or even Omegas.”

“Like Scott?” Isaac cocked an eyebrow.

“Scott’s with us, now,” I supplied, crossing my arms.

“Really?” Isaac asked, glancing around the room, only to find no one else (not that he expected to find anyone else). “Then where is he now?”

“He’s looking for Jackson,” Derek supplied. “Don’t worry, he’s not gonna have it easy tonight, either. None of us will.” He bent down, pulling out the chains and I was so glad I wasn’t going to be tied up tonight. “There’s a price you pay for this kind of power. You get the ability to heal, but tonight, you’re gonna want to kill anything you can find.”

“Good thing I had my period last week, then,” Erica quipped from where she stood, making all the males turn to her. I noticed the two teenagers looked slightly uncomfortable.

Derek wasn’t deterred, and held up a crown of spikes at her. “Well, this one’s for you.” Erica gave a dry smile and she walked over, taking the steel item.

I walked further away from the four of them, hoping Derek would catch my drift, my boots clacking against the cement floor. I heard his footsteps follow after me. The Betas, thankfully, kept their distance, instead, talking quietly amongst each other.

“You sure you don’t need my help?” I asked, turning around. I looked up at Derek, hands at my sides.

“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “You go find Jackson.”

“Call me if you need anything,” I said sternly. “I’ll come right away if I can.”

Derek rolled his eyes and asked, “Who’s in charge again?”

“You might be the Alpha, Derek,” I started, “but I have a right to be concerned over you.” I mean,  _three_ Betas at once? Normally, he could handle it, but he would have to restrain himself because he didn’t want to  _hurt_ them (too much).

“And I appreciate it,” Derek replied, bending down. He kissed my lips softly and said, “But it’s unnecessary. Worry about yourself, Sindy.”

I bit my lip, and brought my hand up to rub his firm arms. He bent down, placing his lips over mine gently, and I purred into his mouth, pressing myself up against him. His chest rumbled in a low growl, and I slid my hands up to cup his neck and head.

His hands ran over my back, before reaching down and grabbing my butt, squeezing the cheeks. He pulled away from me, took my hand, and we left the lair.

I climbed into the passenger seat, and Derek slid into the driver’s seat of his Camaro. The engine purred to life, and Derek took off… in the opposite direction of my house.

“Where are we going?” I inquired curiously, cocking my head to the side.

“You’ll see,” Derek responded, entwining my fingers with his. I looked outside the window, watching as the buildings slowly disappeared, transforming into trees. We were going into the woods.

After a few more minutes of driving, Derek slowed to a stop, before getting out. I followed him out, watching as he popped open the trunk, pulling out a blanket. I quirked my eyebrow at his action, but he simply held out his hand for me to take. He led me deeper into the woods, and I trailed after him, holding his hand.

When we were a bit away from the car, he released my hand, before spreading the blanket out onto the floor, shielding us from the dead leaves and twigs that were on the ground. He sat down on the blanket, and I followed. I sat down next to him, and cuddled into his side.

I leaned against his bare bicep and rubbed my cheek slowly against it. When he moved to wrap his arm around me, I snuggled in closer, purring contently digging my face into the crook of his arm.

“You’re supposed to be a wolf,” Derek commented casually. “Not a cat.”

I angled my head and saw him looking down at me. I held up my right hand and tilted it, extending my claws. “ _Meow_ ,” I purred gently, before retracting the nails. I leaned up, and kissed Derek softly. I reached up, cupping his left cheek as he angled his head, moving to kiss me better. His tongue flicked over my lips before sliding through them, entering my mouth. I opened my mouth wider, and angled my head. His right hand moved down to support the small of my back, while his left supported my head, holding it gently against him.

My right hand trailed down his body, and I purred into his mouth, smiling as his muscles clenched under my butterfly touch. I reached the hem of his shirt, and pulled it up slowly.

We pulled away briefly, and Derek finished taking off his tank top, and I moaned at the way his arms rippled before his abs and chest were revealed to me. I bit the corner of my bottom lip, playing with the hem of my t-shirt.

Derek threw his shirt to the corner of the blanket, and arched a brow at me. Deciding to have some fun, I stood up. I played with the hem of my t-shirt as Derek sat below me. Slowly, I reached up, pulling the shirt up slowly and deliberately, revealing my skin inch-by-inch.

I threw my shirt to the side, where it landed on top of his own discarded article of clothing, and I ran my hand over my lace-covered breasts. They were a lovely shade of green, which was actually fitting, since we were in the woods.

I squeezed my breasts together gently and moaned softly, pinching my hardening nipples through the fabric. Derek’s eyes flashed red before reverting back to his regular hazel, and I smiled, my human canine nipping at the corner of my bottom lip.

I bent down, making my sure was behind me, and making  _absolutely sure_ , that Derek got an eyeful of my cleavage. I unzipped my knee-high boots, listening to the sound slowly drawl out into the air, before kicking them off to the side. I immediately felt the difference in height, but that didn’t deter me. I think Derek  _liked_ how small I was.

Reaching for the button of my shorts, I popped it open. I unzipped my shorts down gently, and tugged them down, making sure my panties still stayed on (though I really wish they’d come off, but… in time). They dropped to the ground with ease, and I flicked my ankle, making the fly over to where the rest of my clothes were, along with my thin socks.

Derek growled lowly, his eyes scanning up and down my body as I stood to my full height. I cocked my eyebrow before placing a hand on my hipping, putting all my weight on one leg.

“Cat got your tongue~?” I teased gently.  _Ooh_ , this was fun. No wonder why Derek did it all the time. I walked over to Derek, and leaned down, kissing him briefly. He returned it eagerly, and just before he could deepen it, I pulled away.

I giggled at the frustrated look on his face. “Sindy,” he growled.

“Yes~?” I sang. “I’m down to my underwear, here, Derek. It’s only fair that you take off some of that extra clothing of yours.” I gestured to his dark jeans, which was displaying a rather prominent bulge.

Derek growled, but otherwise kicked off his shoes and socks. He unzipped and tugged off his jeans and threw it to the side.  _Hello_ , he was wearing boxer briefs today.

I licked my lips, before running my hand over my body, moaning softly. I arched into my touch and squeezed my breasts, before reaching around me. I unclasped the bra, and it snapped off easily, releasing my twins from their constraints. I threw it off to the side, and I couldn’t help but be amused at how fixated Derek was on them.

Who would’ve thought? Derek Hale, werewolf extraordinaire, was a boob man? Or actually, it was probably just my boobs. I ran my hands up my flat stomach, and cupped the two. I squeezed gently around them, and exhaled softly. Running my thumb over the nipples, I felt them harden even more, until they were completely perky.

I then dropped my hands, sliding them into the waistband. I gripped the sides gently, before pulling them down, only to tug them back up. Derek growled warningly, and I could feel my wetness spread. I needed to get out of them.

I watched as Derek kept a close eye on where my hands were, and I slowly dragged my green panties down. I could feel the wetness clinging to the fabric, connecting me to it, but finished it, cutting off the connection. At the feel of the gentle breeze, I moaned softly.

Playfully flinging my panties at Derek, who caught them with another snarl, I grinned. He held them up to his nose, and inhaled sharply, taking in my arousal. His eyes closed before opening to look back at me. He brought the fabric down, placing it to the side.

I grinned from where I stood and reached up my body, squeezing my boobs together. My hips swayed enticingly as I attempted to alleviate some of the throbbing that occurred through my body. I then looked at Derek, who was looking back at me with a strong intensity.

My legs spread wide open for him as I crouched down, revealing my wet arousal to him. His eyes met mine, burning with desire. I saw his muscles twitch, signifying that he wanted to move. “Nuh-uh,” I shook my head. “Just me. Just sit back, and enjoy.”

Reaching up, I moaned softly under my breath as I touched my sensitive skin. My eyes were still locked with Derek’s, and I squeezed my breasts. I dropped to my knees, before sitting back. My feet planted firmly on the blanket, and I leaned back on my left hand, my right hand snaking down my body.

I saw his eyes follow my hand movements, before moaning softly as the tip of my finger brushed over my clit. I bit my lip, and played with it, just like how Derek always does. It was my first time ever doing this by myself, and I bit my lower lip.

I dipped my fingers into my wetness, and moaned softly before reaching up, spreading it over my clit. I then dipped two fingers inside of me, and leaned back on my left arm even further, spreading my legs wider so I could move my fingers more easily inside of me.

My mouth dropped into an  _O_ -shape, eyes rolling to the back of my head as I pumped my fingers in and out of me. I curled my fingers, just like he always does, and cried out when I hit a particularly spongy spot. It was firmer compared to the rest of my walls, and I pressed on it even more.

My thumb pressed down on my clit as I moved to find a better angle, and I squealed at the way the bundle of nerves made me feel. I began to gasp for breath, and continued moving my fingers inside of me, curling and hitting the spot while my thumb rubbed over my little bean of flesh.

As I got closer and closer, my legs wanted to close, but I kept them firmly open. I wanted Derek to see. I wanted him to see me come undone before him…  _for_ him. I pulled my heavy eyelids up, and gasped at the sight before me.

Derek had, in the midst of my working, discarded his boxer briefs, and his fist was wrapped round his hard erection. His eyes were completely focused on me, moving completely in sync with my fingers. When his eyes trailed up my body, they locked with my light brown, and I gasped at the intensity that lied inside his green orbs.

I continued to work myself, and didn’t remove my eyes from Derek’s. When the clenching around my fingers got too much, though, I had to break it as I threw my head back, my fingers thrusting in and out of me faster than ever.

My cry echoed through the woods as I sobbed into the air, legs shaking. I was close. I was  _so_ close. I wanted it so much and  _dammit_ if I wasn’t going to get it. The clenching was so tight by now, I wondered how Derek was even able to  _move_ inside of me.

Tears prickled at the corner of my eyes, and my toes curled, clutching the blanket tightly. I screamed loudly, the sound echoing through the air and I quickly withdrew my fingers. I ran my fingers over my clit roughly, sobbing and screaming as I felt liquids splash all over my hand and soaking the cloth I sat upon.

I panted heavily, my chest heaving with each breath as my hand slowed down, once the last of my climax subdued.

I moved so I was on all fours, my juices sliding down my legs, and his eyes focused back on me, his hand still moving up and down him.

I crawled over to him, making sure to sway my hips gently, before appearing at his side. I pressed my body against his right side, and nipped at his ear, before moaning softly into it, still basking in the afterglow of my orgasm. “Did you enjoy the show?”

“I enjoy everything you do,” Derek replied huskily, his right arm moving beneath me as he worked himself still, this time at a slower, more languid pace.

I smiled against his scruffy cheek. “Good, then.” I bent down, pushing his arm to the side, and leaned over his thick arousal, his musky scent hitting me, as his cock stood at attention, just waiting for me to give him anything. Well, wait no longer.

I bent down, gripping his base firmly. His warm heat radiated off of him and onto my palm, and he groaned lowly up above.

Bending down fully, I swirled my tongue over his tip, taking in his bead of precum. His bittersweet taste hit my tongue, and I smiled gently when he groaned again.

I lied down, resting my breasts on his thighs to be more comfortable, and engulfed the rest of him into my mouth. I gently sucked on him, as his right hand moved down my body, over my butt cheeks. He squeezed each of them firmly, before trailing down between my legs.

I spread them open slightly for him, and moaned around him when his pointer finger began to flick at my little nub. “So wet,” Derek said, running his fingers over my outer lips. “Quite a show you put on just now… It was all for me, wasn’t it?”

I nodded as I bobbed my head, and moaned around him. He continued to play with my clit, flicking it gently, allowing more juices to flow out of me, as I continued to suckle him. I hallowed my cheeks gently around him, and ran my tongue over the large veins that were on the underside of him.

Once my wetness got too much for me to handle, I pulled back. Derek extracted his hand from between my legs and licked at his wet fingers. He kept eye contact with me as I threw my leg over his body, before slowly lying down after I pushed at his chest.

He lied beneath me, and he gripped his base to steady it for me. I grinned down at him, and rubbed the underside of his cock against my wet lips, spreading it all around. We both moaned softly at the contact, before I angled myself, sinking down on him slowly.

When my butt met his pelvis, I hummed softly at the fullness he brought me. I then positioned myself so I was squatting, and he thrust up into me. I moaned, throwing my head back, my hands going to the top of my thighs to keep me supported.

Derek’s hands dived for my breasts, squeezing them and running his thumb over my nipples as he thrust in and out of me from beneath me. I threw my chest into his grip, and he squeezed my breasts together, pinching the nipples.

His hands then flowed down my body, and my abdominals clenched as his rough hands slid over my soft skin. He placed his hands on my hips to keep me steady, and continued to push a rhythm in and out of me.

It was one of our slower, gentler love makings.

Derek was, by nature, a rough, fast, furious, passionate, dominant lover. Our love making was mostly rough and hard, which I didn’t mind one bit. However, he could be just as slow and casual, but equally-passionate as the next person, as shown as I was quickly reaching my orgasm.

I moaned above him, and could feel myself slowly clenching around him. He angled himself, and hit a particular spot inside of me. I cried out when he did so, before my moans quickly transformed into soft yelps as he continued to pound into my spot, bringing me closer and closer to the edge.

He thrust in and out of me, and I dropped my butt a little bit, and yelped a bit louder when I bounced off of him. I did it again, and moaned at the sensation of our skin bouncing off each other, coupled with the way he kept hitting my walls inside of me.

My orgasm came and I fell – both literally and figuratively. I caught myself just before I face-planted onto Derek’s chest (not that I’d mind) and held myself up on all fours, riding out my orgasm with clenched eyes.

When I finished riding the wave (so to speak), Derek sped up his thrusts below me, and I moaned, falling to my forearms, barely hovered over him. Our breaths mingled and I opened my eyes to look down at him. His eyes sparked red for a second, before reverting back. He then leaned forward, and pressed his lips onto mine.

I returned his kiss back with fervor, and his thrusts sped up inside of me. I moaned into his kiss, and he nipped at my bottom lip, tugging it. He slid his tongue into my mouth, and it began to mimic what his cock was doing to my pussy down below. His tongue met mine in rhythmic touches, just like the way the tip of his dick did to my cervix.

I moaned around him, and pressed my lips harder against him, feeling a trail of saliva slide out. I quickly pulled back, and stuck my tongue out, licking his scruff to catch the drop of liquid. I returned back to my spot on his lips, and our tongues swirled around each other.

Our sounds of pleasure mixed together, and I could feel my breasts rub against his chest with every thrust. I could feel his heartbeat pounding fast with mine. I stretched my fingers, running my blunt fingertips against his skull, and my tongue rubbed against his just like my walls did.

His hands then moved from my hips to my lower cheeks, squeezing the muscle and fat that was located there. I moaned gently into his mouth, as he tugged my cheeks away, spreading myself to the air around us.

I felt my arousal drip out of me, coating his cock, and he continued to massage and squeeze at the orbs, just like he did with my rack. I moaned, rubbing my chest against his in an effort to get as close as possible. I don’t think we could _be_ any closer, but I yearned for the closeness.

Derek continued to slide in and out of me, hitting me in the most delicious ways. Our tongues did their own little dance, invading my mouth before I felt it. I was on the brink, and he was bringing me to the edge.

He sped up, feeling my walls flutter and I felt him throb inside of me. I moaned into his mouth and gripped his dark locks. He growled lowly into my kiss, and his hands moved to my waist, holding me so he could pound into me.

I moaned above him, and felt it build… and build… and build.

Until I screamed into his mouth, his throat swallowing my cry of pleasure as I climaxed around him, squeezing him tightly. Derek’s movements didn’t falter, and a few seconds later, he groaned into my mouth, which I swallowed and I felt him the first of him spill inside me.

He gave me a few more shallow thrusts, running out his orgasm as he spurted into me a couple more times. I collapsed on him, kissing him fervently and I felt his deflating cock slip out of me. I nibbled at his lips as I felt his thick essence drip out of me, and he rolled us over so we were on our sides.

He ran his left hand over my right side lazily as we basked in the afterglow of our orgasms. I saw the back of his head was slightly messy, undoubtedly from all the moving he did. His lips were also swollen, due to our kissing, and I was pretty sure mine were equally – if not more – swollen.

He pulled me to his chest, and kissed the top of my head gently. “I love you,” he said quietly. If it wasn’t for the rumble of his chest and my sensitive hearing, I probably wouldn’t have heard it at all.

I smiled gently against his chest, and gave his sternum a small kiss. “I love you, too.”


	35. Wild Party

**WEDNESDAY  
** **MARCH 30, 2011**

Derek’s car pulled up to my driveway, and I sighed. I leaned forward, giving Derek a kiss. When I pulled away, Derek stroked my cheek softly. “Be careful tonight, Sindy.”

“You, too,” I responded. I leaned in, giving him a swift peck, before climbing out of the Camaro.

I entered the house, skipping upstairs as I heard the Camaro pull out of the driveway and away. I saw my brother’s bedroom door open, and entered it, seeing him intensely looking at the 2006 Beacon Hills High Yearbook.

I made sure to make my presence known, and Stiles looked up at the soft sound of disturbance. “Hey,” he greeted shortly before turning back to the book.

“What’cha got, Detective?” I inquired, walking over to him. I peered over his shoulder and he sighed, shaking his head.

“Nothing,” Stiles frowned. “And that’s the thing. The girl that was killed at the rave the other night, Kara Simmons, wasn’t in Harris’s class. She’s still in Class of ’06, but nothing else.”

I frowned, brows furrowing together. That wasn’t good. If we couldn’t figure this out, we wouldn’t be able to predict who Jackson’s next target would be.

“Hey, what are you doing?” I heard from the doorway. I glanced up, seeing our dad stand at the doorframe, looking at us.

“Homework,” Stiles lied, flipping through the pages. That seemed to satisfy Dad, and he began to walk away.

“Wai – wait,” I said, holding the page. I leaned down, and looked at the class, scanning the names, trying to memorize and see if I had seen them in the past couple of days. “Keep turning,” I said after finding nothing.

“It’s Spring Break,” Dad pointed out, now back at the doorway. He walked over to us and asked, “What do you think you’re doing?” while looking directly at Stiles.

“Why’s it gotta be me?” Stiles inquired, looking up at Dad. “Sindy could be ordering me to be her page-turner while she’s satisfying her own curiosity.”

Dad threw Stiles a blank look. “Because I just saw your sister come home.” Then he glanced at me, “By the way… when are you going to introduce your boyfriend to me?”

I blinked. “But you already know him. You arrested him… remember?” ‘Cause I sure did.

Dad pursed his lips and exhaled. “I meant properly, as my daughter’s boyfriend and not…”

“An alleged murderer?” Stiles supplied from where he sat.

It was quiet for a second, before Dad said, “You know what I mean.”

“Uh, sure, Dad,” I nodded. “I’ll ask Derek when I see him.”

That satisfied my father, and he turned back to my twin. “We brought Harris in this morning for questioning.” Then he corrected, “ _They_ brought him in.”

“And?” Stiles edged to the end of his seat.

“And they’re working on a warrant to arrest him for the murders.”

“For all of them.”

“Enough of them,” Dad corrected.

“With what proof?”

“You remember the couple at the trailer?” Dad asked. We nodded in response. “Tire tracks nearby match Harris’s car.”

“W – That’s not enough,” Stiles said, popping open the yearbook.

He began to flip through the pages, but Dad closed it. “The same car was also seen outside the hospital where the pregnant wife was killed. It’s got some bumper sticker on it… a quote from Einstein.”

“Wait, what quote?” I furrowed my brows.

“Something about imagination and knowledge.”

Stiles exhaled through his nose deeply. “ _Imagination is more important than knowledge_ ,” he quoted. “Yeah. I saw the same car parked outside the rave.”

“That means you’re a witness,” Dad pointed out. “You’re gonna have to give a statement.”

“But, what about the concert promoter, Kara?” Stiles asked, sitting up in his seat. “She wasn’t in Harris’s class, right? I mean, what does Mr. Lahey have to do with Harris.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dad shook his head. “The tire tracks put Harris at the site of three murders. That’s damning evidence.”

“No,” Stiles shook his head. “It’s not enough!” He grabbed the yearbook and began flipping through the pages again, determined to solve this case.

“I thought you hated this guy,” Dad pointed out.

“I don’t hate him, alright?” Stiles replied. “He hates me. And, you know, if he’d killed them all, then yeah, lock the psycho up. But… there’s something missing. There’s  _gotta_ be something missing.”

Stiles was desperate to solve the case. Desperate to have our father with a job again. Desperate to prove that he wasn’t a screw up (which he wasn’t, but he didn’t believe it).

“Hey,” Dad called, but Stiles didn’t look up. “Hey,” he called again, this time slightly louder. Stiles turned to him. “You don’t have to solve this for me.”

I looked down at the page Stiles landed on, and furrowed my brows. I looked at the picture. There was the couple from the trailer… Kara… and Mr. Lahey. “Stiles!” I called. “Stiles!”

“What?! What?!” Stiles whirled to me, alarmed.

I pointed down at the yearbook. “Look at the swim team, Stiles. There’s the couple. And Kara. And–”

“Isaac’s dad,” Stiles finished for me. “Dad, the coach. It’s Isaac’s dad.”

I sighed. The 2006 Beacon Hills High Swim Team. “So… what do we do now?”

“ _You two_ don’t do anything,” Dad ordered. “Go to Lydia’s party. It’s tonight, isn’t it?”

My eyes snapped to the clock. Oh crap! “I need to get ready!” I exclaimed. I kissed Stiles and Dad on the cheek before rushing out to my room next door. I closed the door behind me, before shooting a text to Derek about what we had found.

His reply was an affirmative, but we wouldn’t be able to do anything tonight. Not with the full moon out.

I pulled out a simply, navy blue dress with a thin white and brown belt out from my closet and changed into it. I slipped on a pair of black t-strap wedges to complete my outfit.

I sat for a while, making my hair slightly curlier with an iron before glancing at the clock. “Sindy!” my brother called from outside my door. “You done yet?”

“Yeah!” I exclaimed, grabbing my gift bag, which contained a simple floral dress and some make up materials before opening my door. I looked at Stiles strangely. “Where’s your present for her?” He  _always_ had a present for Lydia… He had one for the next fifteen years.

“In the jeep already,” Stiles quipped. “C’mon.”

I followed Stiles downstairs and to the jeep. It didn’t escape my notice that there was a  _giant_ yellow cube decorated with pink flowers in the back seat. I sighed mentally. He was  _so_ in love with Lydia.

I climbed into the jeep, and Stiles drove off to Lydia’s house. Stiles parked a couple houses down from Lydia’s, and dragged out the giant box.

We walked up to Lydia’s house, and I pressed on the doorbell. A couple seconds later, the strawberry blonde popped open the door.

“Happy birthday!” my brother and I exclaimed together. Lydia gave me a small smile and stepped aside for me to enter.

“Coming in,” Stiles said excitedly, going to walk in, but was stopped by the box. “Oh, whoa. Can’t.” He tried pushing it. “You know, you don’t – can one of you just grab that side, maybe?”

I rolled my eyes, and decided to leave my brother there. “I’ll see you inside, Stiles,” I said shortly, before leaving the squirming boy.

“Sindy!” Stiles called from the doorway. “You’re supposed to help a brother out!”

I quickly found Scott, and walked up next to him. “Hey,” I greeted.

Scott turned to me. “Hey,” he nodded. He glanced around. “Where’s Stiles?”

“Stuck at the doorway,” I replied. “See Jackson anywhere?” I glanced around, looking for the said boy. All I saw was a mostly-empty room.

“Hey!” Stiles cried, suddenly appearing. He wiped away the sweat and said, “Thanks for helping out, Sindy.”

“You got it eventually,” I shrugged.

“Have you guys seen Jackson anywhere?” my brother inquired.

“No,” Scott shook his head. “Seen Allison?”

“No, but we should probably tell her what we found,” Stiles suggested. I frowned, listening to Stiles fill Scott in on what we had discovered before coming here.

She told Gerard and Chris about Jackson. I mean, I  _know_ that she was probably  _forced_ to, and she was probably under a lot of pressure – but doesn’t that come with the job?

“… I’m still kind of not sure what we found,” Scott said, as the three of us moved to the pool deck.

“It has something to do with water,” Stiles shrugged. “You know, the fact that all the victims were on the swim team, the way the kanima reacted around the pool.”

“So whoever’s controlling the kanima really hates the swim team?”

“ _Hated_ the swim team,” I corrected. “To be specific, the 2006 swim team.”

“It could be another teacher,” Stiles piped in. “Maybe like a student back then… I mean, who are we missing though? What haven’t we thought of?”

Allison approached us just as we got outside, and she gave a small, weary smile. “Uh, Jackson’s not here,” she reported.

“Yeah,  _no one’s_ here,” my brother said, looking around. Besides the four of us and Lydia, there wasn’t a single soul in sight. Well, there were a couple inside the house, but… you get what I mean.

“Maybe it’s just early,” Scott responded.

“Or maybe nobody’s coming because Lydia’s turned into the town whack-job,” Stiles responded, pursing his lips.

“Well, we have to do something,” Allison said, looking at the three of us, “because we’ve completely ignored her for the past two weeks.” Actually, I hardly talked to Lydia besides about homework and group projects, so… this was nothing new.

“She’s completely ignored Stiles the past  _ten years_ ,” Scott explained.

Stiles looked at Scott pointedly before quipping, “I prefer to think of it as me not having been on her radar yet.”

“What Scott’s saying is that we don’t owe her a party,” I sighed, turning to the taller brunette.

“What about the chance to get back to normal?” Allison asked, looking down at me.

Scott looked taken aback. “Normal?”

It was such a foreign word to us these days. What  _was_ normal for me? Spending the day with my werewolf boyfriend/mate and having sex with him, of course. Oh, and I can’t forget about training the three younger Betas and constantly keeping an eye over our shoulders to make sure hunters don’t come by and cut us in half or shoot us.

I decided to keep my mouth shut for the sake of being somewhat-nice.

“She wouldn’t  _be_ the town whack-job if it wasn’t for us.”

“I guess I could use my co-captain status to get the lacrosse team here,” Scott said, looking at us.

“Yeah, I also know some people who can get this thing going. Like…  _really_ going,” Stiles added.

“Who?” Allison looked at Stiles, confused.

“I met them the other night. Let’s just say they know how to party.”

Then the three taller teens turned to me. I glanced up. “My company mostly consists of four werewolves these days,” I replied, referring to my pack. Scott and Stiles sighed in response. I let out my own frustrated one. “Fine. I’ll call the cross-country team. The side that’s  _not_ on the lacrosse team, as well.”

Allison nodded, satisfied, and I pulled out my phone. I quickly selected everyone on the team that wasn’t on the lacrosse team, and shot out a text.

**Sindy Stilinski: _Party at Lydia Martin’s house. Free food and drinks._**

For the next couple of minutes, I got replies of affirmatives from mostly everyone (save for a couple who were stuck doing family things). Wanna get teenagers to come? Just tell them free food.

“They’re coming in a bit,” I replied, slipping my phone away.

“Same,” Scott and Stiles nodded, gesturing to their own phones.

Within the next ten minutes, people continually arrived, exclaiming loudly. Music started blasting, and it began.

I glanced up from where I was sitting, and observed the people around me. My eyes then landed on familiar brown ones, and I realized that Allison was looking right at us.

“Are you gonna apologize to Allison or what?” Stiles inquired.

“And this is where I leave,” I sighed. I pushed myself off the chair I was sitting in, and left the two boys to talk. I did  _not_ want to hear about Scott and Allison’s “trouble in paradise” problem.

I walked around the room, eyes scanning for Jackson, but just kept falling short.

Suddenly, Lydia appeared in front of me. I blinked as she handed me a glass with pink-peach liquid inside it.

“I don’t think I should be drinking tonight,” I said, looking at Lydia. The full moon was out, and I didn’t want to risk losing all inhibition. I’ll admit, I drank sometimes – not often and a lot – but I did. Hey, I’m a teenager.

“There’s no alcohol in it,” Lydia informed me. “You should relax a little. You look pretty tense. Tension causes wrinkles.”

I frowned.

“So does frowning,” she said in a light voice.

I shrugged. I took the drink in Lydia’s hand, and sipped it gently. All of a sudden, I felt quite light-headed, almost like I was on a high.

Lydia smiled. “How do you feel?”

“Great, actually,” I responded. I sipped the drink again, and Lydia walked away. As I drank from my cup, I noticed someone enter the room.

Jackson. 

I walked back to the boys, and saw that they had noticed as well. We watched as Lydia gave Jackson a glass, and tensed.

“We need to split up and cover as much ground as possible,” Stiles said. “Make sure no one from the swim team is here.”

I nodded, and began to walk away. I decided to enter the house, and moved to head to the kitchen, after placing my empty glass with a few others. All of a sudden, things started to get dizzy, and I groaned, grabbing onto the wall.

My vision began to blur, and I felt sweaty. I glanced up, and exhaled deeply, seeing Derek standing a few feet away from me.

“Derek?”

The man  _tsk_ ed lightly, stalking over to me. “Little Sindy,” he said in a taunting voice, eyes trained on me. My eyes fluttered close as he brushed his fingers gently over my face.

All of a sudden, I gasped out – in pain – as he gripped my neck firmly, pinning me to the wall. “Did you  _honestly_ think that someone like  _you_ could entice me? What makes you think you’re so special,  _huh_ ?” He pinned me harder to the wall, and I gasped, trying to fill my lungs with oxygen.

“A little, defenseless squirrel, Sindy, that’s what you are,” he hissed. “Always pretending to be stronger than your brother, but when in reality, you’re weaker than him, aren’t you? Staying one step behind him, and even  _Scott_ .”

I felt the tears welling in my eyes, and furiously tried to blink them away. My chest throbbed painfully, feeling like someone had stabbed me and twisted it deep inside my gut.

Derek bent low, so his lips were next to my ear, and he whispered out harshly, “What makes you think I enjoyed being a **child** like **you** , when I’ve been with a **woman** like Kate? You’re _nothing_.”

The sob escaped from my lips and I tried to pull at Derek’s arm away. My oxygen was running low and my head throbbed painfully as my tears blurred my vision.

“They say werewolves mate for life, but did you know, Sindy? When a mate dies, sometimes they move on…” He squeezed my neck tightly and I struggled to keep breathing.

Just before I passed out, it suddenly all disappeared. Derek was gone. I was no longer pinned to the wall.

I choked out a sob.

Just what the hell was that?

I glanced up through my tears, and saw the empty glasses. The drink. It all started with the drink. I needed to find Lydia and find out what was inside it.

“Scott!” I called loudly. “Stiles!”

Scott came barreling down the stairs. “We need to find Lydia,” he gasped out, all sweaty.

I nodded, wiping away my tears. “We need to find Stiles, too. Who knows what happened to him?”

We split up, searching furiously for Lydia or Stiles. I quickly found Stiles leaning against a beam, unconscious. “Scott!” I called, picking up my brother’s body effortlessly.

Scott came running out of the house and saw me as I sat him down next to a brick wall. He had a water bottle with him – thank God.

“Stiles, look at me,” he said, bending down. “Drink the water.” Stiles didn’t respond. “Stiles, drink it. Something’s happening, and I need you to sober up right now. Come on, Stiles.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” a voice asked. I glanced up, and saw Danielle, a girl in the same year as us, but we _hardly_ ran in the same crowd. I think she was in drama. “You want to sober him up fast, that’s not the way to do it.”

“You can do better?” Scott challenged.

“I can do best, boy,” she said, before grabbing Stiles. I stood back in shock as she plunged Stiles’s head into the water, making him flail around. She pulled Stiles up after a few seconds. “Whoo!” she exhaled as Stiles gasped for breath. She turned to Stiles. “How do you feel?”

“Like I might have to revisit my policy on hitting a girl,” my brother responded, irritated.

“He’s sober,” Danielle reported.

“Uh… thanks, Danielle,” I said. The girl smiled before leaving, letting Scott and I talk to Stiles. “Stiles, there was something in that drink. We need to find Lydia and figure it out.”

Stiles stood up shakily, and he shook his head to clear it. “Whoa,” he said. “Not a good idea.” He swayed and I kept him steady. “But you’re right. We need to find Lydia.”

The three of us split after that, and we tried to look for the strawberry blonde. I searched everywhere I was silently assigned, but I couldn’t find anything.

I ran back out to the pool deck, where everyone was whooping loudly, pushing people into the water and screaming. It was like some college Spring Break party.

“Hey, I can’t find her,” Stiles reported as he and Scott came running over. “And, dudes, anyone who drank that crap, they’re freaking out.”

“I can see that,” Scott and I responded at the same time.

“What the hell do we do?” Stiles asked.

“I don’t know, but we gotta–”

He was interrupted by some loud protested. I turned to see it was Matt, who was being carried by two teenagers. “I can’t swim!” Matt flailed in their grip. “No, no, no, no, stop, guys!” They threw him right in the pool. “I can’t swim! I can’t swim! I can’t – I can’t–” Matt blubbered, before sinking.

I moved to the edge of the pool, about to go in and grab him, when an arm shot past me. I watched as it grabbed Matt, and pulled him easily out of the pool.

I took a step back, and realized it was Jackson, who had saved Matt. Looked at the soaked Matt, I realized something.

Can’t swim.

Jackson saved him.

Oh _God_.

“What are you looking at?!” Matt demanded angrily, before stomping off, but not before glaring at Scott.

“Cops are here!” someone warned. “Party’s over!”

As everyone ran off, screaming loudly, Scott, Stiles, and I exchanged looks. “It’s Matt,” we all said at once.

We darted off, trying to chase after Matt and Jackson, who would undoubtedly be with him. I ran outside the house, and used my vision to focus on finding Matt. Where the hell was he?

As the bodies blurred past me, I finally found Matt. He was glaring right at Scott, who was standing no more than five feet away from me. And… Jackson, in full kanima form, circled at his feet.

I blinked.

And Jackson was gone.


	36. The Kanima's Master

**THURSDAY  
** **MARCH 31, 2011**

_“Sindy, call me back when you get this. I need your help.”_ I could hear the loud thrashing in the background as chains pushed against the rails of the subway car and roars from the Betas while Derek left me a voicemail. There was a particularly rough bang and I winced.  _“Like as soon as possible.”_

I called Derek back, but it rang, and rang, and rang, before it went to voicemail. “Derek?” I asked. “It’s Sindy, but you probably already knew that. Anyway, though I’d love to go and help you out right now, we’ve got our own situation of our own. The master? It’s Matt. Matt Daehler. We’re going to head home to grab my dad before going to the station. Meet us there ASAP? Bye… I –” I remembered the echoes of his (imaginary) harsh words. “I love you,” I choked out to finish, before hanging up.

“Nothing?” Scott asked as we waited for Stiles to come back with Dad. We had worked it out earlier, and now we needed Dad and Derek.

“No,” I shook my head. “Hopefully, he’ll come as soon as he can.”

Stiles came barreling in the room and Dad followed closely behind him. Stiles pointed at the yearbook and Dad asked, “So this kid’s the real killer.”

“Yeah.”

“… No,” Dad shook his head.

“ _Yes_ !” Stiles exclaimed back.

“No,” Dad shook his head, crossing his arms.

Stiles sprung from his seat and said, “Dad, come on. Everybody knows that the police look for ways to connect victims in a murder, okay? So all he had to do is like, look through their transcripts and figure out which class they all had in common.”

“Yeah, except for the fact that the rave promoter, Kara, wasn’t in Harris’s class,” Dad pointed out. This police stuff was so complicated. I wish we could’ve just screamed out that the kanima controller was Matt. That would’ve all made sense.

“Alright, okay,” Stiles sighed. “You’re right, sorry. Then I guess they dropped the charges against him?”

“… No,” Dad admitted. “You know what? They’re  _not_ dropping the charges, but that doesn’t prove anything.”

“H–”

“Scott, Sindy, do you believe this?”

“Oh,” Stiles sighed out. He was probably thinking that of  _course_ Dad would take Scott’s and my opinions over his.

“It’s  _really_ hard to explain how we know this, but you gotta trust us,” Scott said earnestly. “We know it’s Matt.”

“Yeah, he took Harris’s car, okay?” Stiles asked. “Look, he knew that if a cop found tire tracks at one of the murders, and that if enough of the victims were in Harris’s class, that they’d arrest him.”

“Alright, fine,” Dad said. “I’ll allow the  _remote_ possibility, but give me a motive. I mean,  _why_ would this kid want most of the 2006’s swim team and its coach dead?”

“Isn’t is obvious?!” Stiles exclaimed loudly.  _Actually, no_ , it wasn’t. Enlighten us, Stiles. “Our swim team sucks!” he cried, and I groaned. “They haven’t won in, like, six years – okay, we don’t have a motive yet. I mean, come on, does Harris?”

“What do you want me to do?” Dad sighed.

“We need to look at the evidence,” Scott explained.

“Yeah,” Dad nodded. “That would be in the  _station_ , where I no longer work.”

“Trust me, they’ll let you in,” Stiles responded.

“… Trust  _you_ ?”

“Trust – trust Scott?” Dad quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. “Trust… Sindy?”

“… Scott and Sindy I trust,” Dad admitted. We all left the house, with Dad driving his own car while Scott and I rode with Stiles.

We drove to the station, and parked before piling in to the station. I recognized the deputy at the desk to be the one Derek flirted with a couple weeks ago, but… that was moot. She looked at Dad pointedly. “It’s two o’clock in the morning.”

“Believe me,” Dad sighed. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t extremely important.”

“We look at the hospital stuff first, okay?” Stiles whispered.

“Why?” Scott inquired and I wanted to roll my eyes.

“Because all the murders were committed by Jackson, except for one, you remember?”

“The pregnant girl, Jessica,” Scott realized.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Since Matt had to kill her himself, somebody from the hospital could’ve seen him.”

“Thank you,” Dad suddenly said. “Boys, Sindy.” We followed him down the hall and into his old office. It took him a couple minutes, but he was able to get the surveillance video of the hospital the night Jessica died.

“I don’t know, guys,” he sighed as we watched the video. “I mean, look at this. There was a six-car pileup that night, the hospital was jammed.”

“Just keep going,” Stiles urged. “Look, he  _had_ to have passed one of the cameras on that floor to get to Jessica, okay? He’s gotta be on the footage  _somewhere_ .”

I saw a dark figure walking just as Scott exclaimed, “Oh, hold on! Stop! Did you see that? Scroll back.” Dad did as he said, and it was Stiles’s turn to exclaim.

“That’s him!” Stiles said. “That’s Matt!”

“All I see is the back of someone’s head,” Dad pointed out.

“ _Matt_ ’s head, yeah. I sit behind him in history. He’s got a very distinct cranium… it’s weird.”

Dad turned to look at Stiles, baffled. “Are you crazy?”

“Alright, fine,” Stiles sighed. “Then look at his jacket, huh? How many people do you know who wear black leather jackets?”

“ _Millions_ , literally,” Dad replied. “Your sister’s one of them.” Stiles looked pointedly at me.  _Hey_ , I wasn’t wearing Derek’s jacket right now.

“Can we just move on?” I sighed. “This can’t be the only shot of him. Maybe there’s one of him coming to the cameras.”

“Right there!” Stiles cried after the video resumed. “Stop, stop! See, there he is again!”

“You mean there’s the back of his head, again,” Dad sighed.

“Okay, but look. He’s talking to someone,” Stiles gestured. I looked closely, trying to identify who he was talking to.

“He’s talking to my mom,” Scott realized. He pulled out his phone and thankfully, his mother picked up. “Mom! Do you remember ever seeing Matt Daehler at the hospital?”

_“Scott, do you know how many people I deal with in a day?”_ Melissa sighed out.

“This one’s sixteen. He’s got dark hair, looks like a normal teenager,” Scott supplied.

“Yeah, he looks  _evil_ !” Stiles added.

_“Scott, I already talked to the police about this.”_

“Okay, Mom,” Scott sighed. “I’m gonna take a picture and send it to you.” He hovered his phone over the yearbook and snapped a quick picture. “Did you get it?”

_“Yeah,”_ Melissa replied, and I could hear her nod.

“Do you recognize him? Do you remember him?” Scott quizzed.

_“Yeah, I did. I mean, I remember I stopped him because he was tracking mud in the hall. Scott, what’s going on?”_

Realization dawned on my face as I remembered Dad’s reports of the crime scenes.

“It’s – it’s nothing, Mom. I’ll explain later. I gotta go.” And with that, he hung up.

“We’ve got shoe prints alongside the tire tracks at the trailer site,” Dad informed, pulling at a manila folder.

“And if they match, that puts Matt at the scene of three murders: the trailer, the hospital, and the rave,” Stiles concluded. At the same time, my brother reached out and we exchanged high fives.

“Actually, four,” Dad corrected. “A credit card receipt for an oil change was signed by Matt at the garage where the mechanic was killed.”

Stiles looked at Dad funny. “When?”

“A couple hours before you got there,” Dad explained.

“Alright, Dad. If one’s an incident, two’s a coincidence, and three’s a pattern, what’s four?”

“Four’s enough for a warrant,” Dad replied. Stiles’s and my hands shot out and met in the air again. “Scott, call your mom back, see how quick she can get here. If I can get an official ID, I can get a search warrant. Stiles, go to the front desk. Tell them to let Scott’s mom in when she gets here. Sindy, stay with me and help me gather this stuff up.”

I nodded and gathered up the papers quickly, sorting out the papers. All of a sudden, I heard something, and then a smell trailed up my nostrils.

… Blood.

“She’s on her way here,” I heard Scott report faintly.

Just then, Stiles came walking in, cautious and careful. I glanced behind him, and saw Matt standing there, holding a gun at my brother. I growled lowly in my throat, taking a cautious glance at Dad, getting into a defensive stance.

Stiles walked over to us slowly, and Dad stood up straight. “Matt,” he said. “It’s Matt, right? Matt, whatever’s going on, I guarantee you there’s a solution that doesn’t involve a gun.”

“You know,” Matt scrunched his face. “It’s funny you say that, because I don’t think you’re aware of just how right you are.” It didn’t take a genius for us (who were aware of the supernatural) to know he was talking about Jackson – the kanima.

“I know you don’t wanna hurt people,” Dad tried to coax Matt out of his deranged-ness.

“Actually, I wanna hurt a lot of people,” Matt responded. “You four weren’t on my list, but I could be persuaded. And one way is to try dialing somebody on your cell phone, like McCall is doing.” Scott immediately pulled his hand out of his pocket. “That – that could definitely get someone hurt. Everyone.” He gestured. “ **_Now_ ** !”

“Come on,” Dad urged.

I pulled out my cell phone but just before I put it down, it began to buzz. I looked down, seeing a call from Derek.

“Shut it off!” Matt exclaimed. I moved and shut it off immediately. I hope Derek notice how wrong it was for me to abruptly end his call without picking up, and silently hoped he get here soon.

We then walked out of the office, and towards the cells. Matt pulled out a pair of handcuffs and tossed them at Stiles. “Lock him,” he ordered, gesturing to my dad.

Stiles reluctantly walked over to Dad and locked his wrist to the wall. “Tighter,” Matt ordered.

Dad looked up at his oldest child. “Do what he says, Stiles.” My brother pursed his lips and did what Matt ordered.

Matt then ordered for us to leave, and the metallic smell disturbed my nose. I looked down the hallway, and saw the scattered bodies of three deputies – all dead.

“What, are you gonna kill everyone in here?” Scott demanded.

“ _No_ ,” Matt replied pointedly. “That’s what Jackson’s for. I just think about killing them, and he does it.” He pushed us along, and back into the office. “Delete the evidence.”

Stiles bent over the computer and my fingers itched while Scott shredded the hard copies. I could just  _easily_ take down Matt, but who knows what would happen with Jackson? He might go on a rampage and kill us all. And if I tried anything, Matt would shoot Stiles.

“Deleted,” Stiles reported. “And we’re done. Alright, so, Matt, since all the people you brutally murdered deserved it because they killed you first – whatever that means – I think we’re good here, right? So I’ll just get my dad with my sister and we’ll go, you know? You continue on the whole vengeance thing. Enjoy the kanima.”

I heard the purring of a car engine and headlights go through the window and glanced out instinctively, but we were too far away to actually see it.

“Sounds like your mom’s here, McCall,” Matt commented casually from where he sat.

I waited a few seconds, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled with familiarity.  _Oh thank God. Derek’s here._

Scott, not having sensed Derek, urged Matt, “Matt, don’t do this. When she comes to the door, I’ll just tell her to leave. I’ll tell her we didn’t find  _anything_ . Please, Matt.”

The door opened outside and I held back the exhale of relief to avoid being caught.  _C’mon, Derek._

“If you don’t move,” Matt laughed, “now, I’m gonna kill Stiles first, and then your mom.” I looked at Scott and urged him with my eyes.

We walked to the front, and headed to the door. I could feel the presence on the other side. “Open it,” Matt ordered.

“Please,” Scott begged.

“Open. The. Door,” Matt ordered again, punctuating every word.

Scott reached out, and pulled the door open. I furrowed my brows. Something was wrong, though, when I saw Derek standing there stiffly. He wouldn’t have come in through the front door just like that.

No.

He’d sneak up and somehow take out Matt… or something along those lines to allow Scott and I to move freely.

“Oh, thank God,” Scott sighed in relief, but my suspicions were confirmed when Derek collapsed to the ground, and Jackson was revealed to be standing behind him, partially transformed.

Matt hovered over Derek, and the older man deadpanned, “This is the one controlling him?” He looked over at me. “ _This kid_ ?”

“Well, Derek,” Matt sighed. “Not everyone’s lucky enough to be a big, bad werewolf.” All of us exchanged astonished looks. “Oh, yeah, that’s – that’s right. I’ve learned a few things lately.” Matt smirked, looking at us. “Werewolves, hunters, kanimas… It’s like a frickin’ Halloween party every full moon. Except for you, Stiles. What do you turn into?”

“Abominable snowman,” Stiles quipped. “But, uh, it’s more, of, like, a winter-time thing. You know, seasonal.”

At that, Matt nodded to Jackson, who swiped my brother’s neck. I growled defensively and Scott protested, causing Jackson to extend his claws out at us threateningly.

Stiles cursed out, “You bitch,” before collapsing right on top of Derek.

Derek grinded out through gritted teeth, “Get him off of me.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Derek, I think you two make a pretty good pair,” Matt scoffed, hovering over my mate. “It must kinda suck, though, to have all that power taken away from you with just a little cut to the back of the neck. I bet you’re not used to feeling this helpless.”

“Still got some teeth,” Derek pointed out. “Why don’t you get down here a little closer, huh?” he urged. “We’ll see how helpless I am.”

“Yeah, bitch,” Stiles agreed, his voice slightly muffled due to it being dug into Derek’s chest.

“Hm…” Matt stood up. All of a sudden, I felt a cut in the back of my neck and winced.  _Shit_ .

Just before I fell to the ground, though, Matt caught me, pulling me flush against him. He ran his hand against me, his gun pressing against my side. “You know, Sindy… You’re pretty cute,” he drawled, lips ghosting against the side of my face.

I snarled threateningly and so did Derek and Scott.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Matt chastised. “One wrong move and  _both_ of the Stilinski males are going down. And then you guys with them. Anyway… where was I? Oh, yeah.”

His disgusting fingers ran against my body, and I tensed when one cupped my breast. “I must say, you’ve got quite the figure. Not like Allison’s gorgeous one, but you’ve got a pretty decent one, yourself. Especially right  _here_ .”

He squeezed my left breast and I snarled, my neck supported by his shoulder. “If you weren’t such a coward, I’d rip your fucking throat out with my goddamn teeth.”  _Just move a bit closer, you fucking bastard._

Matt squeezed my stomach, but it wasn’t enough to hurt me. “Who knew you got such a potty mouth? I must say, it’s kind of hot.”

“You fucking touch her like that anymore, I’ll find a way to rip you limb from limb,” Derek threatened from beneath Stiles.

“I’ll help bury the body parts,” Stiles said, his voice still slightly muffled.

Matt laughed. “Oh, that’s right. She’s your mate, isn’t she?” He nipped the side of my ear and I felt my claws growing. I was going to rip him to pieces for touching and defiling me. “I wonder what it’s like to steal someone else’s girl… Maybe if I have time, I could have Jackson cut McCall, too, and then make you three watch as I take her right in front of you. How’d you like that?”

“Don’t!” Scott exclaimed, his eyes glowing golden. He moved to take a step forward, but Jackson shot a hand out. He waggled a finger at the Beta, preventing him from taking a step closer.

“You know, Matt, there’s a nice place in hell for people like you,” Stiles snarled.

I heard another car approaching, and then the headlines shone in the room briefly. “Looks like we’ll have to continue this another time,” Matt said, before throwing me to the ground.

I fell to the ground with a heavy  _thump_ to Derek’s left and winced. Fucking shit, that fucking hurt. If I was able to, I’d grab my head. I could definitely feel a bump in the back. I’ve never felt the urge to maim and kill so much.

“Do what I tell you to and I won’t hurt her,” Matt said to Scott. “I won’t even let Jackson near her.”

“Scott, don’t trust him!” Stiles cried.

Matt grabbed the back of Stiles’s shirt roughly and rolled him onto his back on Derek’s right. Matt stepped down on Stiles’s neck, blocking his airway, and I could hear my brother choking.

“This work better for ya?” Matt threatened, stepping down even harder. I snarled from where I was, and felt my fingers twitch.  _Good_ . C’mon. C’mon. My head stopped throbbing, and knew my healing factor was kicking in.

“Okay, just stop!” Scott cried. “Stop!”

“Then do what I tell you to.”

“Okay,” Scott gave in. “Alright. Stop!” Matt took his foot off Stiles and my brother gasped for breath.

“You,” Matt said to Jackson. “Take them in there. You,” he looked pointedly at Scott. “With me.”

Jackson picked us up roughly and threw us back into my dad’s old office. After throwing us to the ground he stood off to the side, watching and guarding over us. I couldn’t speed up my healing any faster, because he’d definitely smell the blood.

I then heard a gunshot and Melissa screaming.

“Scott! Stiles! Sindy!” I heard my dad call from the cells. “What happened?!”

I could hear Matt’s stress building as the adults tried to talk him out of it. I could hear his erratic heartbeat, and I knew it’d be his downfall – his fear. Too bad we were a sheriff’s station.

“Hey Sindy,” Stiles called.

“Yeah?”

“You okay?”

“For the most part,” I replied. “I’m gonna have to take a nice long shower because I feel really violated, though.” Then I blinked and angled my eyes to look at Derek. He was handsome even paralyzed from the neck down and completely stiff. His eyes turned to me, a question in his eyes.

I thought about Derek giving me a little bit of a tongue bath to get rid of Matt’s touch on me, and flushed slightly. I could feel my heartbeat increase, and judging by the way Derek’s dark eyebrows rose, he heard it.

I dug my claws into my thigh, wincing from the pain a little bit. The smell wasn’t enough to alert Jackson, as the place was _coated_ in the metallic scent of blood.

Scott came stumbling back into the room, with Matt right behind him. “The evidence is gone,” he said. “Why don’t you just go?”

“You… You think the evidence mattered _that_ much?!” Matt exclaimed, his eyes burning wildly. “No, no. I want the book.”

“What – what book?” Scott looked at the photographer, bewildered.

Matt wanted the bestiary, I realized. But the question was: _why_?

“The **bestiary**!” Matt roared, his patience (what little he had) snapping. “Not just a few pages. I want the entire thing.”

“I don’t have it,” Scott admitted. “It’s Gerard’s. What do you want it for, anyway?”

“I need answers,” Matt sighed. He was sweating bullets.

“Answers to _what_?” Scott demanded, looking completely confused. Actually, I’d like to know answers to what, too.

“Answers to **_this_** ,” Matt hissed out, lifting up his shirt. My eyes widened at the sight of his right side, coated by the same scaley skin that Jackson had. It was glowing as well, flashing, taunting Matt.

I glanced over to Derek, and his eyes met mine. I realized what it was. Derek told me that there were rules in this supernatural world for a reason. That there was balance.

And Matt broke the balance.


	37. Reassurance

**THURSDAY  
** **MARCH 31, 2011**

Scott pulled out his cell phone, and texted Allison. Matt and Scott then left the room, and Jackson turned away, standing guard.

“Hey,” Stiles whispered. “You know what’s happening to Matt?”

“I know the book’s not gonna help him,” Derek responded easily. “You can just break the rules. Not like this.”

“What do you mean?” Stiles inquired.

“Universe balances things out,” Derek told him. “Always does.”

Stiles took a glance at Derek. “Is it because he’s using Jackson to kill people who don’t deserve it?”

“And killing people himself,” Derek added.

“So if breaks the rules of the kanima, he  _becomes_ the kanima?”

“Balance.”

“Will he believe us if we tell him that?”

I snorted from where I lied. “Highly doubtful,” I commented.

“Okay…” Stiles said. “He’s gonna kill all of us when he gets that book, isn’t he?”

“Yep,” Derek bluntly informed.

“Alright, so what do we do?” Stiles asked impatiently. “Do we just… Do we just sit here and wait to die?”

“I think I have more to worry about than you do, Stiles,” I sighed heavily. I was  _pretty sure_ Matt was going to do something – sexual, as much as I hate to think about it – before killing me.  _Oh God_ . That’d be horrible. I was  **not** going to let that happen to me, and I was  **not** going to let Matt kill all of us.

“It won’t happen,” Derek said firmly. “Not with what you and I are doing…”

“… What are you two doing?” Stiles inquired. He probably glanced down to look at Derek’s hand, because I heard him blanche out, “Aw, gross.”

I tuned out Matt’s “righteous” speech, focusing on pushing the toxin out of my body. I  **needed** to do this. This was my priority. I was pretty sure because of my head injury earlier, I was healing a lot faster than Derek.

A few minutes later of silence, Stiles asked, “So… is that hypothetical situation we talked about getting any less hypothetical?”

“I think so,” Derek responded. “I can move my toes.”

Stiles sighed heavily. “Dude, I can move  _my_ toes.”

“If it’s any consolation,” I said to the two males. “I can feel my legs. I just need a bit longer.”  _C’mon_ .  _C’mon_ .

I could feel my butt now. It was really numb, pressed against the hard marble floor. After all, all I had on to protect it was a dress and underwear.

Once I was able to push all the toxins out, I pulled my claws away, and gasped silently. Could I risk moving right now? I shot a quick look to Jackson.

No. Not unless Derek was free, too.

Strength in numbers.

All of the sudden, the lights went out. Alarms went off, echoing loudly and I heard the sounds of bullets bursting through the windows, hitting the walls, the desks, everything. Taking advantage of the confusion, I shot up, and kicked Jackson in the back, making him fly right towards Scott.

My best friend pushed Jackson aside and Derek groaned as I helped him up. “Take him!” Derek ordered. “Go!”

Derek and I quickly transformed, and we rushed off.

The Argents were here. Jackson ran off after Scott and Stiles, but we had to get out of here. “You take that side,” Derek ordered. “We need to find Matt before the Argents do.”

“Got it,” I nodded, running down the left hall. There was too much noise for me to locate Matt, and whatever bombs the Argents threw in negated our smelling.

I turned a corner and stopped in my tracks. I looked at the tall brunette that stood before me, dressed to kill – literally. She cocked her crossbow. “Where’s Derek, Sindy?” she demanded.

“Why the hell should I tell you?” I hissed. “I knew it was a horrible idea trusting you.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Sindy,” Allison said, but she didn’t lower her crossbow. “I only want Derek.”

“Good,” I replied, a surge of protectiveness flowing through me.  **No one** was getting to  _my_ mate. “Because I want to hurt you.” I roared, and charged right at her.

She dodged my claws and shot her crossbow. I did a back bend, dodging her attack before flying back up. She smartly maintained her distance, keeping far away so I couldn’t come near her to hit her.

I rolled on the ground, dodging more of her little arrows. I landed next to the dead body of a deputy, and spotted the gun. I quickly withdrew it before jumping out of another shot.

I hit behind a desk, took off the safety, aimed the weapon, and fired.

Allison let out a cry of pain and I heard her weapon drop. I stood up from where I was and walked over to her. She was glaring up at me and she tried to reach for her crossbow.

I kicked the weapon away and pointed the gun up at her face. “You’re not the only one who can use a trajectory weapon.” I  _was_ the sheriff’s daughter after all.

“Are you going to kill me?” Allison asked venomously, glaring up at me with dark brown eyes.

I scoffed. “I’m not like you,” I replied, before hitting her with the weapon. She collapsed to the ground and I threw the gun. “Killing isn’t the answer to everything for me.”  _Though Matt might be an exception._

I darted off, looking for an actual person that I could  _trust_ . I heard a roar through all the noise.

Derek.

I headed down the hall, leaping over the (unfortunately) dead bodies of the deputies and skidded into the cells. Jackson launched himself at Derek, and I moved to run after Matt.

However, I heard a heavy thump and whirled around. I took a quick glance at the door and made my decision in a split second. I threw myself at Jackson, pulling him off of Derek before doing a backflip, kicking the kanima right in the face.

Scott appeared, and grabbed the kanima, throwing him away from the cell Melissa was kept in. I had kicked Jackson to the wall nearby. Jackson let out a roar, before running off.

Derek and I scowled, running after Jackson. It was futile, however, as Jackson was completely gone. I hate lizards.

Just then, I heard hushed voices, one coming from Scott and the other… Gerard.

“What are you doing here?” Scott demanded. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

“Trust me, I’m aware of that,” Gerard responded.

“I’ve done everything that you’ve asked of me,” Scott said in a rushed tone. “I’m part of Derek’s pack, I’ve given you all the information you wanted, I told you Matt was controlling Jackson–”

“Then leave him to us,” Gerard interrupted. “Help your friends. Leave Matt and Jackson to me. Deal with your mother. Go!”

“You dropped this.”

“ _Go_ !”

Scott rushed off, flying past Derek and I, who were leaning against the wall, listening in. Derek and I exchanged looks.  _Could we trust **anyone** these days?_

Derek grasped my hand, and led me outside. I slipped into the passenger seat of his Camaro, and we made our escape.

He drove and drove, but for some odd reason, he was driving down to the Hale House instead of the lair in the subway station. As he drove, I couldn’t help but remember that the last time I was here, I was close to my death.

The last time I was here… Kate was here.

I closed my eyes, remembering the flashes of the hallucination I had of Derek at Lydia’s party. I was pretty sure there was wolfsbane in the juice… no way could it have affected everyone like that. Werewolves were immune to most poisons for humans, but they did share one poison: wolfsbane. It affected everyone: werewolves and humans alike.

“A child like me…” I mumbled softly, looking out the window. I couldn’t help but think that whatever I was hallucinating was right.

I took a glance at Derek, taking in his profile. There was no denying that Derek wasn’t a boy. He was a man, and a very attractive one at that. I looked down at my hands, noting how tiny they were. And I was a girl.

It was always man and woman. Boy and girl. Never man and girl. I bit my lower lip and then asked, “Could you just… drive me home, instead?”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on with you,” Derek said, pressing down on the gas even more. I felt the car accelerate, pushing for us to head to his destination faster. “Something’s wrong with you, Sindy.”

“Why are you with me, Derek?” I blurted out.

Derek took a glance at me and replied, “Because you’re my mate.”

“No,” I shook my head. “I mean… why are you  _with_ me, with me. Why…” My heart clenched painfully at the thought, “why aren’t you with a different woman?”

The car screeched to a halt so suddenly that if I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt, I was pretty sure I’d be thrown out the windshield. Instead, though, my air supply was cut off suddenly before I fell back in my seat.

Derek’s eyes flashed red as he turned to look at me. “What the  _hell_ possessed you to think  _that_ ?” I pursed my lips together. “Sindy,” he said in a warning tone.

I played with the hem of my dress. “At Lydia’s party… there was a drink… and I think wolfsbane was in it,” I said quietly. Derek stayed quiet, waiting for me to continue. He knew I had more. “I… I hallucinated. You appeared. You scared me.”

A large hand clasped over mine, and I exhaled deeply and shakily. “You called me weak, y’know… You asked me why I thought you enjoyed being with a child like me when you’ve been with a woman like Kate. And then… you said something about when a mate dies, they sometimes move on.”

Derek took his hand off mine and stepped out of his car. When the door slammed shut, my bottom lip quivered. A sob escaped from my chest and I moved my hands up to wipe away my tears.

The door to my seat suddenly opened, and a woodsy scent washed over me as Derek leaned over, unbuckling my seat belt. He pulled me out of the car and closed the door, before gently pushing me against the car.

He moved my hands away from my face and cupped my face, making him look up. “Sindy,” he said quietly, gently. “Sindy, look at me.” When I didn’t, he forcefully but gently, lifted my head up. “Look at me, Sindy,” he repeated firmly.

My eyelids slowly opened, and they met with his pale green that was mixed with a tinge of brown in the center. He was looking down patiently at me and once he was sure he had my complete attention, he began, “Sindy, you’re the strongest person I know. As a human, in the past couple of months, you’ve dealt with things people can only  _imagine_ what you’ve gone through. You’ve look at fear and death in the eyes, multiple times. Yes,” he said. “Yes, you’re young.”

I waited for what he’d say more about my age.

“But that just means you have more time to grow,” Derek said, leaning in. He nuzzled my cheek, brushing his scruff against mine. I leaned into his touch, a small whine slipping past my lips. “That means when you become an actual woman, you’ll be twice, or thrice the woman Kate ever was. Hell, even as a girl – a young woman, to be exact – you’re much more mature and definitely the most beautiful and sexiest little thing I’ve ever seen – with a little spitfire to match.”

Against my will, a laugh escaped my throat, and I could feel his cheek tighten as the corner of his lips pulled up. He ghosted hips lips over my ear and said quietly, “I love you, Sindy.”

He bent down, capturing my lips with his. I stood on my toes, and pressed against his chest just as he slipped his tongue inside of my mouth.

I whimpered as his hands moved from my cheeks for his arms to snake around my waist. He pulled me flush against him and I threw my arms around his neck.

My chest exploded and I heard Derek’s low growl shake my body. He hoisted me up, my ankles locked as they swung themselves around Derek’s hips.

He began to stride quickly away from his car. Where, I wasn’t sure exactly, but all I knew was that I trust Derek. I love him, and I’d be right at his side no matter where he went.

I heard the sounds of wood creaking and felt myself be elevated… upstairs. We were in the Hale House…

My thoughts were further confirmed when lowered me, with him right on top of me. I moaned softly as his hands traveled up my body. I felt him remove my thin belt, feeling the strap slide out from under me before being thrown aside.

His hands rubbed up and down my legs, and I moaned softly. Derek pushed my dress up slowly, making sure his fingers brushed against my skin softly. A breathless sigh escaped from my lips at his feather-like touch, much gentler than his usual.

I raised my arms for him to take off the dress, and Derek leaned down, kissing me again. I returned it and Derek’s hand trailed up and down my side, brushing over my bra. He lowered the straps and I moved my arms to extract my limbs from the garment.

Derek removed the bra slowly, all the while moving his kisses down. He kissed down my neck, massaging my breasts gently together. I let out a pleased whimper, body shaking slightly when he licked over my mark.

He suckled on the skin and I arched my back in response, pulling him to me. He licked along my sternum and his tongue flicked over my hard nipples. I rubbed my body against him, and he engulfed my left breast into his mouth, his left hand rubbing against my right breast.

He pressed his face down into my chest and I gasped, my heart rate speeding up. I felt him relax, feeling my throbbing hard beneath his face, before he pulled back. His tongue flicked over the tip one more time, before he continued his pathway down my body.

His tongue dipped into my belly button as he passed, but otherwise, he continued just kissing, nipping, and licking at my skin as he moved further and further south of my body. I gasped when I felt his hot breath against my panties. The wetness that leaked from me made me more sensitive, as he blew gently above where my button was, and I moaned softly, feeling more liquid seep from me.

Derek grasped both sides of my underwear, and slow dragged the cotton-lace down. I shivered as my most sensitive area was exposed to the cool room…  _and_ from the completely focused look on Derek’s face.

He leaned down, nuzzling his nose into my curls, and I moaned when he rubbed against my clit – swollen and overly sensitive from him. He pulled back briefly, only for a loud cry to escape from me as he ran his tongue up my slit, making sure to collect every drip of juice that had leaked out of me.

His tongue flattened against me, and a breathless gasp escaped from me as he continued to lap at me. I tossed my head back, moaning loudly when he bit lightly down on my little nub, and tugged at it gently. He released my clit, and slid two fingers inside of me and with my sensitive ears, I could hear the gentle  _squish_ from my juices.

I whimpered beneath him, throwing my arm over my head, arching my back as I yearned for more of his touch. He lapped at me, making small humming sounds as I writhed beneath him.

I spread my legs wide and my fingers tangled into Derek’s dark locks. I squeaked when his tongue lips moved down to my lower ones, and slid his tongue into me. His thumb pressed against my clit and I sighed softly.

Derek withdrew his tongue and I shivered when he moved back up my body, before placing his lips over mine. I moaned softly, my fingers twirling around the hairs at the back of his neck.

I reached down his body, and my brows furrowed when I felt the fabric of his shirt. I pulled away from Derek, and frowned. Derek looked at me, confused. “What’s wrong?”

I pouted slightly. “You’re still clothed,” I commented. Derek smirked and reached for the neckline of his shirt. I watched as he pulled the article of clothing up, and I licked my lips gently when I saw his skin revealed to me.

Derek leaned back down, and I circled my arms around his neck. I pressed my forehead against his, and I smiled. He looked down at me, and smiled as well. My heart fluttered, and just looking into his eyes, it made me wonder why I even considered doubting him.

Derek loves me… and I could see it in his eyes.

He leaned down, gently pecking my cheek. My eyes fluttered close before he placed his lips over mine. My arms snaked down his body, going to the waistband of his jeans.

Unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans, our kiss grew more heated as our tongues and teeth met. Derek pulled back from me and he finished pulling down his jeans, along with his boxer briefs.

Derek leaned down, kissing me. I returned it eagerly and his arms snaked around my waist, pulling me towards him. His arousal pressed against my lower stomach and I moaned softly into his mouth. Slowly, he turned me around so my back was pressed against his chest.

He angled my head so he could continue kissing me – all the while massaging my breasts. He positioned me slightly, so I was resting high on my knees while he sat back on his calves. I felt his arousal prodding my entrance, slicking its tip with my juices.

I shivered against him gently, and his lips trailed down my cheek, past my chin, and directly to my mark. His tongue lapped at the mark, and he slowly eased himself in. I cried out in pleasure, arching my back, and he bit down on my mark slowly.

I whimpered and fell forward onto my hands, shivering slightly as Derek moved in and out of me shallowly. I angled my head back, and Derek leaned down to kiss me. I returned his kiss, slipping my tongue into his mouth as he continued to move in and out of me.

Releasing a long moan into his mouth, I pulled back in order to push myself up correctly, allowing Derek to thrust better. I mewled in pleasure as the pit in my stomach kept building – stronger and stronger.

Derek grunted and growled in response to my moans and mewls, and began to thrust harder as he felt me tightening around him. I gripped the dark bed sheets tightly, arching my back. Derek’s hands kept me steady, squeezing my breasts to reign me in and hold me down as I climbed higher and higher, my voice escalating with me.

I released around him with a high-pitched scream beneath him. As he shallowly pulled out of me, I felt my juices slide down my thighs before he thrust back inside me. I whimpered and clutched the bed sheets even tighter.

Derek then pulled out of me, and I moaned at the loss, but he quickly made up for it by flipping me over on the bed, before sliding back inside me. I threw my arms up above me and Derek grabbed my hips, thrusting into me at a rhythmic, hard pace.

My breathing came out in gasps and my eyes opened to lock onto Derek’s verdant ones. His eyes didn’t stray once from my face, and then he released my hips, before covering my body with his.

I threw my arms around his back as he continued to move, and his lips ghosted over my mark. In response, I angled my neck and placed my upper teeth against his own mark, and I slowly felt my canines elongating.

Derek continued to move – no, pound – into me, as I quickly headed for my next peak again. “ _Ah_ !” I cried out multiple times, and my teeth slightly pierced his skin. He groaned and began to move even faster, and I was finding it difficult to catch my breath.

“D – Derek!” his name came out in a stutter, as he continued to move.

“Sindy…” he groaned in response, right into the crook of my neck. “Come for me, Sindy. Come for me, my mate.”

I purred against his skin and began to feel myself tense as my orgasm building. His pace didn’t falter the slightest, and after a particular hard thrust – I came all around him. I scratched at his back, nails digging into his skin, and I bit down on him to muffle my scream.

He roared right next to me and sped up and I took shaky breaths before he stiffened and then bit down on me roughly. That set me off again, and I screamed as Derek thrust slowly, but roughly into me, riding out his orgasm.

As both he and I settled down from our highs, I whimpered into his skin, feeling my teeth begin to detract. I lapped at his skin, and I could feel it healing beneath me. He did the same to my own bite wound, and before I knew it, the skin was closed again.

Derek kneeled above me, and slid out of me. I felt his cum slip out of me slowly, before he lied down next to me. I nuzzled into his side, and he threw his arm around me, pulling me flush against him. He kissed the top of my head, and I sighed into his firm chest.

“I love you,” I declared softly.

He kissed my head again, nuzzling the locks. “I love you, too.”

I began to trace a pattern over his chest, and then I asked, “Hey, Derek?”

“Hm?” my mate responded, running his hand through my hair.

“How come I healed so fast?” I pulled back to look at him. “I thought wounds from an Alpha take longer to heal.”

“It’s different with mates,” Derek replied, looking down at me calmly. “The stronger the bond – the faster the healing process. Even if the mate is close to death, if the bond is strong enough, it just might be enough to fully heal them.”

“… Death?” I inquired, and then I suddenly remembered Hallucination-Derek’s words. “I have another question.”

“What is it?”

“When I was… hallucinating, the you I hallucinated said that sometimes, werewolves moved on after a mate dies. Is that true?”

“For most werewolves, no,” Derek shook his head. “But it _has_ happened. Mates are generally for life, but there have been the few occasions where wolves have mated with someone who they only _thought_ was their destined mate, only to find their _true_ mate after.”

I furrowed my brows. “How do you know I’m your ‘true mate’?” I pulled my hands away from him to even make the quotes.

Derek chuckled and pulled me back to him. “Because you make me feel liberated in this constricting world,” he told me. “For the first time in the six years since my family’s deaths, I feel… happy. And it’s _you_ that did that, Sindy. You brought me out of the dark. You’re mine forever.”

He nuzzled into my face, and I whined softly, running my leg up against his. “As you’re mine,” I agreed. “I have _another_ question, though.”

“Hm?” Derek hummed gently.

“So we’re emotionally bounded, right?” Derek nodded. “What happens if we find someone we’re _sexually_ attracted to? _Not_ that I’m saying I am! It’s just a _what if_ situation. Like, what if you see this really hot, tall, sexy brunette. Y’know. Hormones.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “First off, I _like_ that you’re tiny.” I knew it. “And second, that’s impossible.”

I furrowed my brows in confusion. “Elaborate?”

“Your body will _never_ have the same response to anyone else but _me_. Mating isn’t just a spiritual thing, Sindy. It’s completely giving your entire _being_ to someone else. You’ll never find _anyone_ appealing towards you.”

His hand ghosted down my body, and I shivered under his gentle touch.

“You’ll never shudder against another’s touch,” he said quietly. He ran his hands over my hip. “Your skin will never tingle with anticipation for another…” He slid his hand in between my thighs, and gently rubbed against the wet lips, and I moaned softly. “And you’ll _never_ get wet for anyone but **_me_**.”

He lowered his face, so his lips were _just_ right in front of me. “Just as I’ll never be able to feel anything for another woman like you.” He slid into me smoothly, easily lubricated by me, and I moaned softly around him.

I rolled over so I was on my back, and Derek climbed over me, and he began to move in and out of me – reassuring me that I would never belong to anyone else and that there was no one else for him but me.


	38. Decisions

**SATURDAY  
** **APRIL 5, 2011**

I sat on a chest, flipping through probably the fiftieth book this morning. My mind was going  _haywire_ with all of this information about all these mythical creatures. Who knew so many existed?

Banshees, kitsunes, were…  **everything** (seriously, jaguars, coyotes?), possessed spirits, Berserkers, vampires… anything I thought was just fantasy?  _Ha_ . Yeah, no. Though, I  **am** glad that vampires don’t really sparkle. Like… what was the author  _thinking_ ?

I could hear footsteps, and I glanced up from the book of South American chupacabras (believe me, I was thoroughly confused when I saw this book as well).

From the scents, I could immediately tell it was Boyd and Erica, who have made their decision.

Apparently, last night, while wandering, they had encountered a pack of werewolves. They told Isaac and I about it, and they were stuck in a rut between staying or leaving us. From the look on Isaac’s face last night, I could see he was also troubled, too.

In fact, I was supposed to meet with Isaac and talk it over with him during lunch in a little bit.

“You decided,” Derek declared. “When?”

“Tonight,” Erica replied quietly. Derek didn’t even blink. I can’t say I was surprised, either. Once you begin doubting, unless there’s some heavy reassurance – there won’t be any turning back.

“Everyone’s gonna be at the game,” Boyd explained. “We figured it was the best time.”

“It’s not like we want to,” Erica said earnestly, looking from Derek to me. I saw how apologetic her eyes were.

Derek stepped forward, looking at the two youngest Betas. “What  _do_ you want?” he asked.

“Since I just turned sixteen a month ago, I wouldn’t mind getting my license,” Erica admitted. “I can’t do that if I’m dead, you know.”

“Well, I told you there was a price,” Derek said.

“Yeah, but you didn’t say it would be like this,” Boyd replied.

“Yeah, but I told you how to  _survive_ ,” Derek told them. “You do it as a  _pack_ . And you’re not a pack without an Alpha.” He turned around and handed me another book.

“We know,” Boyd told him.

Derek turned around, and saw the firmness in Boyd’s eyes. “You want to look for another pack? How are you even going to find one?”

“We think we already did,” Boyd admitted.

“Like, all of a sudden, we heard all this howling,” Erica described. “It was unbelievable.”

"There must have been a dozen of them,” Boyd added.

“Maybe more,” Erica nodded.

“Yeah, or maybe only  _two_ ,” Derek said firmly. “You know what the Beau Geste effect is? If they modulate their howls with a rapid shift in tone,  _two_ wolves can sound like  _twenty_ .”

“Look, that doesn’t matter, okay?” Erica exclaimed. “There’s another pack out there; there’s got to be. We’ve made up our minds.” She looked up at Derek with conviction.

“Yeah, we lost, Derek,” Boyd admitted defeat. “And it’s over. We’re leaving.”

“No,” Derek said firmly, shaking his head. “No, you’re  _running_ . And once you start, you don’t stop. You’ll  _always_ be running.”

Erica grabbed Boyd’s hand, and the two stormed off. Derek leaned over the trunk of books he was searching through, and I stood up from where I was. I rubbed his back gently, feeling it tense before slowly relax under my touch.

I circled my arms around his waist, and bent my body slightly to mold against his. I nuzzled my nose into his back, taking in his natural scent. “You knew about it,” Derek said, not even bothering asking.

“I did,” I admitted. “They told us about it last night… us as in, Isaac and I. It’s what we’re going to talk about over lunch.”

“You’ve made your decision already,” Derek said. “While Isaac hasn’t.”

I nodded, turning my head so my cheek rested against his clothed back. (I really wish it was bare… Maybe later.) “You’re stuck with me,” I murmured gently. His back rumbled as he let out a small hum, before I pulled away from him. “It’s about time for me to meet with Isaac. I’m gonna go to the game tonight, so call me if you need anything.”

“Okay,” Derek nodded. He turned around, so my face was now against his chest. He moved me and kissed me briefly before I extracted myself from him. I walked out, leaving the Hale Manor.

I slipped into my car, and drove off. I was meeting Isaac at a little Mexican diner in the heart of Beacon Hills. I was just parking my car, when Isaac walked up to my vehicle.

“Hey,” I greeted, popping out. He nodded and we both strolled in together. We were quickly seated at a private booth in the back (per my request), and I sighed, looking at the menu, “I want quesadillas, but I can’t decide which one…”

“Tell me about it,” Isaac responded. He glanced up from the menu and asked, “Wanna share?”

“Sure,” I shrugged. Isaac told me what he wanted, before I turned to the waiter. “Can I have four cheese, bean, chicken, and beef quesadillas?”

“Total?” the waiter inquired, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

I frowned. “No,” I shook my head. “Each.” … What? Werewolves burn a  _lot_ of calories, and plus, we were teenagers. And Isaac’s a  _boy_ , so if he’s anything like Stiles or Scott, he’ll finish everything anyway.

The waiter blinked, but nodded nonetheless. He left Isaac and me alone, and I rested my elbows on the table, before perching my chin on the top of my folded hands. “Have you made your decision, yet?” I asked.

Isaac shook his head. “No,” he admitted. “Does that make me a horrible person if I’m considering leaving Derek?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” I replied honestly. “For Boyd and Erica, it’s a safety thing, that’s why they’re leaving. They don’t feel as secure as they should be, which is kinda true, because with Jackson running about and the Argents on our asses…”

“And you?”

“I could never leave Derek,” I told him. As I chewed, I spun the straw in my cup of Coke, watching the ice move with it. I swallowed before continuing, “I wouldn’t be able to live without him. There’s also Scott, Stiles, and my dad to think about, too.” I would  **never** in my life imagine myself abandoning them. To me, these four were my family – my everything.

Isaac bit his lip before finishing the rest of his second quesadilla. “At first, when Derek offered me the Bite, I thought that I’d never have to suffer from my dad’s hands again,” Isaac confessed. “That with everything, my life would turn out for the better. Family, friends,” he listed, “girls.”

The corner of my lips twitched. “Anyone special in mind?” I teased.

“Well, before I was turned, I had this huge crush on you,” Isaac admitted sheepishly. “But… you kind of never gave me the time of day.” I frowned at that statement. “I mean, like, I’d always be behind Stiles and Scott on your list of ‘important’ people, y’know? You always knew when I was having a bad day and you talked and cheered me up. You also seemed to know about my dad, but didn’t tell anyone, and I appreciated that.”

“Isaac,” I said softly, reaching forward. I placed my hand over his clenched one. “While it’s true that Stiles and Scott are important to me, don’t think that you mean any less to me. You’re kind of stuck with me now.” I gave a small chuckle. “And even if you choose to leave, you can always call me and I’ll be there as fast as I can to help you out.”

Isaac began to blink furiously, and I smiled softly. “Uh,” he said, retracting his hand. He used his sleeve to wipe away at his eyes. “Thanks,” he said quietly. “You don’t know how much that means to me.” He looked up at me, and I remembered the quiet, reserved human Isaac that didn’t dare speak out of turn. I hadn’t even realized how much he’s burst out of his shell until just now. He was more confident – and stronger, not only physically, but mentally as well.

“You’ll do what you think is right, Isaac,” I told him reassuringly after I finished the last of my fourth quesadilla.

For the rest of the meal, Isaac and I talked quietly. It went from the whole Jackson-ordeal to just average things that we never really got to talk about: lacrosse, fun stories, school.

An hour later, we were in my car, heading to Dr. Deaton’s. Isaac had wanted to talk to Scott to ask for his opinion before he made his mind, and I offered to give him a ride. I also needed to talk to Scott about the lacrosse game.

I pulled open the door and Isaac stepped in as the bell jingled. All of a sudden, the dogs started barking like crazy, and Isaac looked at me wearily.

Deaton and Scott walked out to the front, and the veterinarian walked forward. “It’s okay, Isaac, Sindy,” he said, opening the small door for us. “We’re open.”

I furrowed my brows as I smelled something strange, walking into the back. I looked down at the suffering dog on the table.

“Why does it smell like that?” Isaac inquired, seeing Deaton and Scott go back to working on the dog. The two turned to the curly-haired boy. The two exchanged looks and chuckled softly. “What?”

“Scott said almost the same thing to me a few months ago,” Deaton replied, while Scott nodded. “One day, he could tell the difference between which animals were getting better, and which... were not.”

“He’s not getting any better, is he?” Isaac asked, looking at the little dog as it whimpered in pain. Deaton shook his head. “Is it cancer?”

“Osteosarcoma,” Deaton replied. “It has a very distinct scent, doesn’t it? Come here.” Isaac walked over to the vet. “I know you’re well-aware of what your new abilities can do for you: improved strength, speed, and healing… You ever wonder what it could do for others?” Isaac looked down at the dog. “Give me your hand. Go on.”

Deaton placed Isaac’s hand over the dog, and I watched as the veins on Isaac’s hands and arms grow darker as the dog relaxed under his touch. I smiled softly.

Isaac pulled his hand away and lifted his shirt to see the dark veins fading away. “What did I do?” he asked, looking at me.

“You took some of his pain away,” Scott supplied.

“Only a little bit,” Deaton added. “But sometimes, a little can make quite a difference.” Isaac sniffled into his wrist, trying to mask his tears.

Scott looked at me and smiled before turning back to the younger Beta. “It’s okay,” he told him. “First time he showed me, I cried, too.”

“Then Scott ran all the way to the hospital,” I told Isaac. “Found me working and quickly showed me. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” I supplied.

Isaac looked up, and smiled through his tears.

We stepped back, waiting for Deaton to finish treating the dog. Once he was done, the vet took the dog away, and Scott began to clean up.

“They’re leaving tonight, during the game,” Isaac told Scott.

Immediately, Scott knew who the taller boy was talking about. “So, why are you telling me?”

“I’m not telling you,” Isaac sighed, turning to look at the brunet. “I’m asking you. I’m asking for your advice.”

“From me?” Scott looked incredulous at Isaac. “Why?”

“Because I trust you,” Isaac replied simply.

Scott looked at me, confused. I smiled at him, and he turned back to Isaac. “Why?”

“Because you always seem to want to do the right thing,” Isaac replied honestly. And it was true. No matter how much I scolded Scott for making “wrong” decisions, Scott always had the best intentions… just the wrong ways of doing things.

“I usually have no idea what I’m doing,” Scott admitted. Didn’t take a genius to figure that out. “Actually, I always have no idea what I’m doing.”  _Tell me about it._

“Hmm,” Isaac hummed, chuckling softly. “Do you want to let me know what you’re doing right now?”

“I’m not going anywhere, if that’s what you mean,” Scott told him. “I have too many people here who need me.” He looked at me, and I smiled gratefully. He returned a small one in reply.

“Well, I guess that makes me lucky, ‘cause… uh, ‘cause I don’t have anyone, so…” Isaac looked down, before making a move to walk out.

“Are you gonna go with them?” Scott asked.

“Yeah,” Isaac nodded. “Yeah, I think I will. And Sindy?” I glanced up to look at him. “Thanks for being supportive.”

I gave a small smile. “Any time, Isaac. Remember, I’m just a phone call away.”

Isaac nodded and said, “Good luck with the game, though.”

“Well, thanks,” Scott said, “but… I’m not – I’m not going either. Can’t even think about playing some meaningless game right now.”

Isaac arched his brow at Scott. “You weren’t at practice last week, were you?”

“No,” Scott admitted, shaking his head. “I skipped it. Why?”

“Then you didn’t hear?” Isaac inquired.

“Hear what?” Scott looked from Isaac to me and then back to Isaac.

“Jackson was there,” Isaac and I responded at the same time.

“What do you mean  _there_ ?” Scott echoed. “Like, he was–”

“As if nothing had happened,” Isaac informed matter-of-factly.

“Really? That means – the game tonight?”

“Yeah.” Isaac nodded. “He’s playing.”

“That’s what I came to ask you about,” I sighed. Isaac gave us a small wave, before leaving the clinic. I sighed heavily one more time, leaning back against the counter as I looked at Scott. “So, what’re you going to do?”

Scott looked at me strangely. “Go to the game, obviously.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know  _that_ ,” I told him.  _That_ much was obvious. “I meant about Jackson.”

“… I’ll think of something,” Scott said eventually. “Do you think Stiles might have a plan?”

“He has  _something_ that’s usually involved with psychotic killers, maiming, and possible death.” I shrugged. He never had  _good_ plans, but they were decent enough to go along with until things work.

“Let’s go, then,” Scott urged. He rushed off to tell Deaton he was leaving and I walked out of the clinic to my car.

Twenty minutes later, we were at my house, sitting on Stiles's bed, looking at my brother.

“I got nothing,” Stiles admitted. Scott tossed him a frustrated look and huffed. “Hey, don’t you huff at  **me** , mister!” my brother snapped. “ _I’m_ not the one that’s the teenaged werewolf here.” Then he paused, “Actually… I’m the  **only** one not a teenaged werewolf here.”

Scott turned to me. “Derek doesn’t have a plan?” he questioned.

I turned my eyes onto him. “I  _told_ you that he was doing  _research_ on the Kanima, because  _you_ insist on saving him.”

“I don’t see why we can’t kill him,” Stiles said casually. I had to admit, though I was against killing Lydia, killing Jackson was a tempting thought.

“We are  **not** killing him!” Scott exclaimed firmly.  _Ugh_ , it was just a  _thought_ . What a party pooper. No cake for him. “The game starts soon. We should get going… We’ll think of  _something_ .”

I sighed and nodded, before we piled into my car. I drove off to the school, and couldn’t help but note the tense atmosphere inside my car. I rolled down the windows slightly, hoping to ease it.

_Nada_ .

The car ride was silent, and when I slipped into a parking spot at the school, we all piled out. The three of us headed to the locker room, where multiple players were bustling about.

I watched as Stiles and Scott got changed, and I focused on Jackson, who was conversing with Danny.

“You okay, dude?” Danny asked the star player.

“I’m perfect,” Jackson replied stiffly.

“Well, we all know that,” Danny chuckled, joking quietly. “But are you okay? You didn’t answer my texts all week. I’m getting worried about you.” My brows furrowed as there was no response from Jackson. Apparently, Danny was discomforted as well, because he called, “Jackson.  _Jackson_ !”

“Stay in the goal tonight, Danny,” Jackson advised. “Do  _not_ come out. And if you see me coming towards you, run the other way… as  _fast_ as you can.”

“Something’s gonna happen tonight,” Scott said in a hushed whisper towards me.

“I can hear that,” I said stiffly. “You have to make sure to keep an eye on him the entire time on the field.  _Stop_ him the  _second_ you feel he’s out of line.”

Scott nodded stiffly.

There was the familiar static sound of Coach’s megaphone and I groaned softly.

“Good morning,” Finstock greeted us all. “In less than an hour, aircraft from here will be joining others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. Mankind – that word should have new meaning for all of us today.”

“What the hell is he talking about?” I heard a familiar voice say. I angled my head and saw Melissa standing next to Stiles in the back.

“He does this every year,” Stiles supplied with a heavy sigh.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,” my brother sighed.

“We are fighting for our right to live,” Finstock quoted.

“Yeah!” some players cheered.

“Wait,” Melissa realized. “Is this–”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “It’s the speech from  _Independence Day_ . It’s Coach’s favorite movie.”

“He doesn’t know any sports speeches?”

“I don’t think he cares,” Stiles shrugged, and I had to agree with him there. Coach Finstock was… a unique one, that’s for sure.

“Today we celebrate our  _Independence Day_ !”

“ **_Yeah_ ** !” multiple players shouted. Boy, this speech just got people riled up so much. It was understandable, I guess, but… this is a lacrosse game.

“Well spoken, Coach,” an old, stern voice said from behind. I tensed beside Scott as the old man walked forward, smiling at us all. “I might have chosen something with a little more historical value, but there’s no denying your passion. And while I haven’t been here long, there’s no denying my pride in having a winning team for this school. I know you’ll all be brilliant tonight, even with only  _one_ co-captain leading you.”

Scott and I turned to each other, eyes wide.

“Now, I’m your principal, but I’m also a fan,” Gerard continued. “So don’t think I’ll be content to watch you merely beat this team. Get out there and  _murder_ them.”

_Oh, shit_ .

“You heard the man!” Finstock called. “Asses on the field!”

“Yeah!” the players all scrambled, while Scott made a beeline to Finstock. I saw Gerard moving from the corner of my eye and I glowered at him. He returned it with a sadistic smirk before walking out of the locker room.

“Coach!” Scott called. “Are you benching me?”

“It’s not my decision,” Finstock said regretfully.

“But I have to play,” Scott urged.

“McCall, you’re failing three classes and academics come first,” Finstock replied.

“Coach, you don’t get it,” Scott replied. “You _have_ to let me play.”

“McCall, no,” Coach said with finality. “Not tonight. Tonight, you’re on the bench.”

I clenched my fists together tightly, just as I heard footsteps appear next to me. “What’s going on?” Stiles asked. “Why’s Scott being benched?”

“Scott’s failing three classes and academics come first,” I repeated Finstock’s words with a spit. “Of _all_ times for Finstock to bench Scott, he has to do it _now_?!”

“Gerard obviously did something,” Stiles pointed out.

“No _shit_ ,” I rolled my eyes at Stiles. I bit my bottom lip nervously. “How the hell are we gonna keep an eye on Jackson when all _three_ of us are on the bench?”

“How fast can you whip up a poison that makes everyone on the bench but Scott and I sick?” Stiles turned his head to me as we walked out of the locker room.

I looked at my crazy brother. “I am _not_ poisoning the team!” I exclaimed. “And I don’t even know _how_!”

“Easy!” Stiles exclaimed. “Mix in a little this and that and this and that and bam! Some weird concoction that you can say helps with the nerves and makes you perform better but instead, gives them explosive diarrhea. With everyone else out of commission, that’ll mean Coach will have no choice but to put Scott on the field.”

“I’m not poisoning the team, Stiles,” I rolled my eyes. “But it _is_ a good point. If most of the players get knocked out, there will be _no choice_ but to put you in.”

“There’s like, ten people on reserve on the bench,” Scott quipped. “Some don’t even play at _all_. What are the chances over ten people are going to get injured this game?”

“The same chances of Jackson actually being a Kanima if he’s on the field without us,” Stiles replied. “Add in possible _death_.”

“No one’s dying tonight,” Scott hushed, but from the look on his face, he didn’t look like he fully believed his words.

As we stepped out onto the field and sat down on the bench, I couldn’t help but sigh.

We were going to get murdered not only on the field, but off it as well...


	39. Let The Game Begin

**SATURDAY  
** **APRIL 5, 2011**

“Your dad coming?” Scott turned to Stiles and me.

“Yeah, he’s already here,” Stiles replied, pointing off to the bystander seats, where our dad was sitting with Melissa.

“You seen Allison?” Scott inquired, looking around.

“No, you seen Lydia?” Stiles replied back.

“Not yet,” Scott answered honestly.

“It’s gonna be bad, isn’t it?” Stiles sighed. “I mean, like people screaming, running for their lives, blood, killing, maiming kind of bad?”

“Looks like it,” Scott and I sighed. I rubbed my hands together nervously, even though they weren’t cold.

“Scott, the other night, seeing my dad get hit over the head by Matt, you know, while I’m just lying there and I can’t even move… it just – I want to help, you know – but I can’t do the things that you and Sindy can do. I can’t–”

I reached over my brother, hugging him. “It’s okay…” I said quietly.

“We’re losing,” Stiles choked out.

“The hell are you talking about?!” Coach’s voice exclaimed from behind us. I released my brother. “Game hasn’t even started! Now put your helmet and get out there, Stilinski. You’re in for Greenberg.”

“What?” Stiles asked, looking around like a meerkat. “What happened to Greenberg?”

“What happened to Greenberg?” Coach repeated, scoffing. “He sucks,” he stuck out a hand, “you suck,” he stuck out his other hand, “slightly less.”

“I’m playing?” Stiles looked like he was going to throw up in happiness… if that made sense. “On the field? With the team?”

“Yes,” Coach nodded. “Unless you’d rather play with yourself.”

“I already did that today, twice,” my brother supplied, much to my horror. Meanwhile, Scott was smiling softly to himself.

“Get the hell out there!” Coach yelled and Stiles scrambled, grabbing his net, gloves, and mask before darting out onto the field.

I looked over to Scott and we scooted closer to each other. We turned to look out at Stiles, who was fidgeting on the field. We glanced at each other again, and laughed.

_Man_ , leave it to Stiles to make us feel better.

“My son is on the field!” I heard a proud voice exclaim. I angled my head and turned to see my father standing, fist raised, with a proud look over his face. I giggled softly, looking down at the ground and shaking my head.

“Scott, Sindy,” I heard a voice faintly say. “Can you hear me?” My smile dropped as I recognized the voice. “Ah, you can… Good. Then listen closely, because the game is about to get interesting.”

“What the hell?” I mumbled.

“Let’s put a real clock on this game,” Gerard proposed. “I’ll give you two until the last thirty seconds. When that scoreboard clock begins counting down from thirty, if you haven’t given me Derek, then Jackson is gonna kill someone. So tell me, Scott, who’s gonna die tonight? Should it be your mother, who so bravely came out to support you? Or the sheriff, your best friend’s father? Or how about the pretty little redhead who managed to survive the bite of an Alpha? Or maybe one of these innocent teenagers with their whole life ahead of them? Or should I do everyone a favorite and kill that ridiculous coach?

“Or better yet, Sindy…” I sat up stiffly at my name being addressed. “How about you hand over your mate?” I stiffened. He knew. “Yes, of course I knew. I know all about it. You can’t live without your mate, but can you live without your brother, I wonder? Your precious twin brother, who you love and would turn against your pack for?

“Either one of you who turns Derek over to me is just fine. But  _you both_ are going to help me take Derek down. Because if you don’t, I’ll have Jackson rip someone’s head off right in the middle of the field and drench everyone you two love and care about in blood.”

This was honestly the first time I’ve ever interacted with Gerard, but how did he know so much?

Then I realized.

_Allison_ .

I turned to Scott and scowled. “Your little  _girlfriend_ gave away  **my** status,” I jabbed a finger into Scott’s chest.

“Ow,” Scott responded, slapping my hand away. “There’s no way she’d do that,” Scott told me. “He must have found out from someone else.”

“ _How_ ?!” I whisper-yelled at him. “ **No one** but  **werewolves** can learn about mates. The only way for humans to figure out is because we  **tell** them. Mates are identified through  _scent_ , Scott. Allison told Gerard.”

Scott looked troubled and I saw his fists clench. He took a deep breath and looked at me. “I took down Allison before, Scott,” I informed him. “I’ll do it again if I find out she’s been hunting the rest of my pack.”

“You took her down?!” Scott whispered harshly. “When?!”

“That night at the station,” I replied stiffly, pulling back from him. “She was going to  _kill_ Derek, Scott. I saw it in her eyes. She wasn’t going to lay a hand on him.”

“If you hurt her–” Scott began, but I cut him off.

“I’m not the bad guy, Scott,” I growled softly at him, gripping his wrist tightly. “She made her choice that night, Scott, and it was with Gerard. I’m just doing whatever it takes to protect my family and friends. You have to understand that.”

I could feel him shaking beneath my grip, but then he slowly, but surely, relaxed. I could see it. He was admitting defeat, because he  **knew** what I said was  _true_ .

I heard the whistle to signify the start of the game and I glanced up. Within ten minutes, the other team had scored  _two_ goals.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” I mumbled to myself, slumping back in my seat. My eyes were trained on Jackson and Stiles, never wavering from the two. Jackson was lingering in the background and Stiles… well…

I watched as my brother caught the ball and I could hear his laughter before it was abruptly cut off by a player crashing into him.

“Oh, dear,” I mumbled, rubbing my temples. To be honest, I was more worried about Stiles more than Jackson at this point.

My brother was currently fumbling for the ball, but was then harshly knocked back. I groaned. That looked like it  _hurt_ .

But my brother, ever the fighter, got back up quickly. He moved to catch the ball… and it hit his face.

“I can’t take this anymore,” Scott sighed before standing up.

“Sit down, McCall!” Finstock ordered, pushing the boy back into his seat.

“But, Coach, we’re dying out there,” Scott protested.

“Oh, I’m aware of that,” Coach replied. “Now  _sit_ .” Scott heaved a heavy sigh and slumped back in his seat.

A scent suddenly tickled my nostrils and I perked up in attention. I glanced up just in time to see Isaac sitting down next to Scott – fully dressed in his lacrosse gear.

“You came to help,” Scott said, looking at the curly-haired boy.

Isaac turned to the brunet and responded with a smirk, “I came to win.” We took our chances and glanced over at Gerard, who met our gaze head on. “You got a plan yet?”

“No,” Scott shook his head honestly. “Right now, it’s pretty much just keep Jackson from killing anyone.”

“Well, that might be easier if you’re actually  _in_ the game,” Isaac quipped. “We have to make it so Coach has no choice but to play you.”

“How do we do that?” Scott turned to the taller, paler boy. “He’s got a bench full of guys he can use before he ever puts me on the field.”

_Oh dear._

I sighed through my nostrils and Isaac turned to me with a smirk. I rolled my eyes. Scott witnessed the exchange and realized what was going on. “… Can you do it  _without_ putting anyone in the hospital?” he sighed.

“… I can try,” Isaac shrugged. He slipped on his headgear and entered the game. I watched as he walked to the center, where he took a quick glance at Jackson. In typical Isaac fashion, he smirked at the Kanima before walking off.

The game resumed, and I watched as one of our players was able to snag the ball, darting off. However, Isaac cut him off, and rammed his stick across the player’s torso, making the boy fly to the ground.

“Lahey!” Coach scolded. “Ramirez! You’re in!”

Isaac rammed into Ramirez, sending the male to the ground in a heartbeat.  _Well…_ at least Isaac could use others’ body weights against them?

“Murphy, you’re in!”

Isaac flipped over two of our guys, which meant if he could take out one more, Scott could play. I tapped my foot in anticipation while the crowd jeered loudly and Coach yelled at Isaac.

The game resumed and this time, Isaac had the ball. The boy moved to head to the goal, but was quickly taken down by Jackson.

I rushed to my feet and darted onto the field with Scott. “It’s not broken,” Isaac shook his head. “But I can’t move it. I think Jackson nicked me ‘cause I can feel it spreading.”

“Help me out,” the EMT told me, rolling out the stretcher. I nodded and grabbed Isaac’s shoulder. “One, two, three.”

“McCall,” I heard Coach say as I left. “Either you’re in or we forfeit.”

I followed the men to the locker room and I looked over Isaac’s injury with the EMTs. “Nothing’s broken,” the EMT reported. “I’m going back onto the field. You staying with him?”

“Yeah,” I nodded with a small, fake smile. I could leave Isaac alone, especially when he was half-paralyzed. “You okay?” I asked, looking at Isaac, who was lying on the stretcher.

“Y – Yeah,” Isaac stumbled out. “Thanks. Y’know, for not getting mad that I was gonna leave.”

I shrugged. “Isaac, you’re my packmate – that means you’re family, and I’ll always protect family.”

“How sweet,” a voice not too far away said. I whirled around, fanged bared, when something hit me right across the stomach.

I felt the electricity flow through my veins before it was taken away and I was kicked off to the side. I landed with a thud onto the lockers, making them collapsed.

“It was a good effort, Isaac, Sindy,” Gerard said sadistically. “It was…” I heard the sound of a weapon being drawn out. “This would be so much more poetic if it were halftime.”

“Really?” I growled, pushing myself off the lockers. “I’ve always been more of a book person. Poems just confuse me.” I dodged the first hunter’s attack and struck up, slashing at his arm.

He cried out in pain and I took the advantage to grab the back of his head, bringing it down while I brought my knee up. I heard the crack of the sound of his nose breaking as I kneed his face, before tossing him aside.

I snarled at Gerard and the second hunter and my chest rumbled as I growled lowly in my throat, my claws elongating. The hunter struck first, and I jumped out of the way.

He moved to punch but I ducked, and he swiped at me from underneath my feet. I tumbled to the ground and he struck the lightning rod down on me, and I felt the electricity run through my veins.

I roared at him from on the ground, and glared at him. Another roar slipped through my lips as I felt something dig  _into_ me, and I saw that it was Gerard’s sword, pinning me to the ground through my gut.

The metallic scent of my blood began to fill my room and I coughed, the black liquid staining my lips and shirt. I glared up at Gerard and cried again when he twisted it.

The hunter kept the electric rod on my body, and I couldn’t move. I glared up at the both of them. They weren’t going to lay a hand on  **anyone** . Not Isaac. Not Scott. Not Stiles. And  _especially_ not Derek.

I grabbed the rod weakly and roared again, glaring at them both. Gerard’s eyes suddenly widened and I took advantage of his shock. I raised my legs up, mustering all the strength I could into them and kicked forward.

The old man was sent flying out the room and I swiped my feet, knocking the hunter to the ground. The electricity rod rolled away and I breathed in and out in pain before reaching up.

I gripped the blade of the sword and cried out when I pulled it out, effectively unpinning me from the ground. I stumbled to the ground, and coughed, more black liquid spilling to the ground.

_“Sindy! Isaac!”_ I heard a voice call.

“Sc – Scott! In here!” I heard Isaac’s panicked cry call. I tossed Gerard’s weapon to the ground and glared down at the unconscious hunter at my feet.

“Sindy!” I heard a voice call. I glanced up and Scott looked at me, stunned. “Si – Sindy…” he stuttered out. “Your eyes… Look at your eyes… Th – They’re…”

I groaned, but angled my head, turning in Isaac’s direction – where the mirrors were. I looked into the glass, to see instead of golden eyes, my eyes resembled the sunset, and they were fading to a bright orange, before back to my usual gold.

I stumbled, and Scott went to quickly catch me. He placed me gently down on the ground, and I groaned as Isaac’s arms snaked around me, helping me stand.

“Sindy… W – We need–”

“I know,” I interrupted Scott, pressing on my wound. I could feel it healing beneath my skin. “We need to get back out there. Go on ahead, we’ll catch up.”

Scott nodded, and slowly released me, before rushing out of the locker room.

“How you feeling?” Isaac asked, and I could feel the bleeding stop.

“Not that bad, actually,” I responded dryly. “Just kinda like nine-hundred thousand volts just went through my body and then a sword, y’know? Kinda wish that handle of his wasn’t plastic so it would’ve shocked that bastard, too.”

“Well, if you’re that snarky, then I guess you’re fine,” Isaac commented, rolling his eyes as we walked – well, more like stumbled – out of the room.

Once we got outside, I could hear and feel the panic growing as we got closer and closer to the field, so we sped things up. By the time we were at the edge of the field, both Isaac and I were fully healed, so we sprinted to the other side, where most people were crowded around.

“Melissa!” I exclaimed, dropping to my knees.

“Good, Sindy,” Melissa breathed out. “He’s not breathing. No pulse. Free his breathing while I work.”

I reached forward and pulled open his uniform to reveal bloodied up and torn clothing. The stench of Jackson’s blood hit my nose and it twitched involuntarily. I ripped through Jackson’s clothing.

“Look,” I heard Scott whisper.

“He did it to himself,” Isaac mumbled, making me look down at Jackson’s hands… where they were completely bloodied up from piercing himself.

“Lydia,” I called for the strawberry blonde. “Lydia!” I called. “I need you down here!” I whispered to Melissa, “Scott, Isaac, and I need to leave.”

She nodded and ordered Lydia what to do. I stood back up, and making sure my old wound was hidden from most people, I turned to Isaac and Scott. I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by my dad.

“Where’s Stiles?!” he yelled. “Where the hell is my son?!?!”

I looked at the other two, and from one glance at them, I knew we were all thinking the same thing: _Gerard_.

“Oh my God,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “He took Stiles. He took _Stiles_. He _took_ **Stiles**!”

“Sindy!” Scott gripped my shoulders. “Sindy! I need you to calm down. If anyone needs to stay calm here, it’s **you**.”

“He took my brother,” I mumbled, shaking my head. “No. I’m going to make sure he rots in the pits of hell. He laid a hand on my brother. **No one** lays a hand on my brother!”

“ _Sindy_ ,” Scott said warningly.

“I don’t know, Scott,” Isaac said wearily. “Like she said, no one lays a hand on her brother. And Gerard laid a hand on her brother. She’s going to be on a war path.”

“ _Not helping_!” Scott hissed.

I stormed off quickly, just as I heard the EMTs. I vaguely heard Coach Finstock giving orders for everyone but Melissa, Dad, and Lydia to leave the field. I was gonna leave. I was gonna track down Gerard, and I was gonna maim and kill him.

“Sindy, whatever you’re thinking, _stop_!” Scott said, gripping my wrist tightly as I walked. “Think **clearly**. This is Stiles we’re talking about. He’ll be fine. He’ll be fine, I swear it.”

“I can’t lose him, Scott,” I choked out, now feeling all the anger fade. My heart clenched tightly and I leaned against the cold wall of the hallway. “I can’t lose my brother.”

“You won’t,” Scott said firmly, an arm on my hand. “Trust me, Sindy. I have a plan.” I glanced up at him, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. “Gerard’s going down, Sindy. He’ll go down the **right** way. We can’t kill him, or else we’ll be no better than he is. And you don’t want that, do you? To live knowing that what you did was because it was all Gerard’s fault?”

“… No,” I mumbled quietly. I wiped away at the moisture that built in my eyes. “No,” I repeated. “I’m not like him.”

“Exactly,” Scott nodded affirmatively.

“This is just a suggestion…” Isaac said wearily, “but… you should probably change your shirt.” He pointed at my stomach, where there was a gaping hole.

 _Right_. Stabbed by sword.

“Okay,” I nodded, inhaling and then exhaling deeply, feeling a surge of power flow through me. “Okay. I’m gonna go change. You guys are gonna go change. Then we’re meeting up with Derek, and we’re gonna get my brother back and take down Gerard.”

Isaac threw me a smirk. “Now _that_ seems like a great plan.”

“Of course,” I scoffed. “I came up with it.”


	40. True

**SATURDAY  
** **APRIL 5, 2011**

I sighed heavily, re-entering the locker room, which was bustling about. I spotted Dad off to the side with Scott and Isaac before walking over to them, catching the last of his instructions.

“We’ll call you,” Isaac interrupted by father.

“We’ll find him,” Scott reassured.

“Yeah,” Dad nodded softly. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him, digging my head into his chest. He hugged me firmly, reassured by my presence. “Oh God,” he said into the top of my head. He pulled back and looked at me firmly, “Stay safe, okay?”

The corner of my lips curled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

Coach walked over to talk to Scott, so Isaac turned to me. “Did you catch anything?” he asked me quietly.

“He wasn’t near my car or anything,” I shook my head. “He was probably taken – most likely by the hunters – during the confusion outside on the field.”

“So how are gonna do this?” Isaac inquired.

“We track him by scent,” I shrugged, not really knowing what else to do. Coach Finstock walked away, and we glanced around. He was the last one.

“Is that everyone?” Scott inquired.

Just in case, Isaac pushed himself off the lockers to go look around. “I think so,” Isaac nodded before Scott ripped open Stiles’s locker open.

“You need one?” Scott asked, holding Stiles’s dirty shirt out to me.

I wrinkled my nose at the smell. “No thanks,” I shook my head. “I got it, already.”

Scott handed Isaac one of Stiles’s shoes. “How come you get his shirt and I get a shoe?” the curly-haired boy asked, looking at the shoe in distaste.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I felt the electricity (the good kind) in the air. I whirled around, and beamed at the sight of my mate. The look on his face, however – wasn’t so pleasing.

“We need to talk,” Derek said, not taking his eyes off Scott.

All of a sudden, a flash of black caught my eyes and Peter stepped out. “All of us,” the older man added.

“Holy shit,” Scott cursed, eyes wide at the sight of Peter.

Isaac had no clue what was going on, and Derek had already informed me that Lydia poisoned him in order to revive Peter, so I wasn’t all that shocked… much. I mean, it was still hard to grasp, but then again, Derek and I were just sharing our day after a round… okay, three rounds, of hot sex.

I walked over to Derek and nuzzled into his chest. He stood there stoically, letting me do as I pleased.

“What the hell is this?” Scott demanded.

Derek placed his arm on my shoulder and moved me so I stood next to him. “You know, I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the sheriff’s station,” he quipped to the young teen.

“Okay, hold on,” Scott refuted. “He – He threatened to kill my mom. And I had to get close to him. What was I supposed to do?”

“I’m gonna go with Scott on this one,” Peter piped in. “Have you  _seen_ his mom? She’s  _gorgeous_ .”

“Shut up,” both Derek and Scott snapped to the ex-Alpha.

“… Who is he?” Isaac asked quietly into Scott’s ear, while keeping his eyes trained on Peter.

“That’s Peter,” Scott reluctantly introduced. “Derek’s uncle. Little while back, he tried to kill us all, and then we set him on fire, and Derek slashed his throat.”

“Hi,” Peter greeted, raising his hand at Isaac.

Isaac’s brows arched and he said, “That’s good to know.”

“How is he alive?” Scott furrowed his eyebrows at Derek and me. Then he turned on me. “And why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

“Because we were kind of busy dealing with our own problems involving Jackson?” I shrugged. “No offense, Scott, but you take on everything like it’s  _your_ problem. Ever settle down and just… let people handle their own problems? Peter is obviously Derek’s.”

“Look,” Derek cut in. “The short version is he knows how to stop Jackson. And maybe how to save him.”

“Well, that’s very helpful except… Jackson’s dead,” Isaac pointed out.

“Has been for about fifteen minutes,” I added, making Derek look down at me.

“What?” he demanded.

“Yeah,” Scott agreed. “Jackson’s dead. It just happened on the field.” Derek turned to Peter, and the two developed grim(mer) looks on their faces.

“Okay, why is no one taking this as good news?” Isaac asked wearily.

“Because if Jackson is dead, it didn’t just happen,” Peter said. “Gerard  _wanted_ it to happen.”

“But why?” Derek inquired.

Peter stepped forward and looked at us all. ‘Well, that’s exactly what we need to figure out. And something tells me the window of opportunity is closing. Quickly.”

The five of us left, heading to the parking lot, where only my Genesis and Derek’s Camaro were parked. I slipped into my car, with Scott going into the passenger seat. Isaac got into the back and I followed Derek’s car out of the parking lot.

As we got deeper into the preservation, my phone began to ring. “Scott?” I asked the boy next to me. “Could you pick that up?”

“Yeah, sure,” Scott nodded, going to grab my purse. He pulled out my phone and placed it on speaker. “Hello?”

_“Scott? Where’s Sindy?”_ my father’s voice filled the car.

“She’s driving right now,” Scott reported. “You’re on speaker, though.”

_“Oh, okay,”_ Dad responded.  _“I just wanna let you kids know, Stiles is back at home and safe. He was a bit roughened up, but he’s currently resting in his room right now.”_

“Oh,” Scott and I sighed at the same time, relieved. “Oh. Okay.”

“Thanks for telling us, Daddy, I’ll be home as soon as I can,” I told him, making a turn down the road.

_“Alright,”_ I heard my dad nod.  _“You kids be careful.”_

“We will,” Scott and I chorused, before Scott hung up.

“That’s good,” Scott sighed, leaning back in his seat.

“Major relief,” I nodded in agreement. “I bet you it was Gerard that roughened up Stiles. Knowing him, though, he probably said it was from the kids from the other team.”

I parked the car next to Derek’s Camaro, and the three of us got out of my car. I followed Peter and Derek into the burned Hale Manor, and Derek sighed heavily.

“I told you, I looked everywhere,” Derek looked pointedly at his uncle.

Peter walked straight towards the stairs and said, “You didn’t look here.” He pulled back a board and proceeded to pull out a small case.

“What is that, a book?” Derek inquired while Peter blew the dust off of the case.

Peter looked at Derek like he was stupid. “ _No_ ,” he scoffed. “It’s a laptop. What century are you living in?” Derek pursed his lips in annoyance. “A few days after I got out of the coma, I transferred everything that we had. Fortunately, the Argents aren’t the only ones that keep records.”

Scott’s phone began to ring and glanced over at him briefly before following Peter and Derek into the kitchen, with Isaac right behind me.

“Okay, so you guys have a bestiary of your own right underneath your floorboards,” I said, looking at the Apple laptop. “What’s next? A hidden vault?” Both the Hale males turned to look at me. “… I’m right, aren’t I?” The two didn’t reply and I rolled my eyes.

_Men_ .

“This isn’t good,” Scott said, running into the room as we waited for the laptop to boot up. “Jackson’s in this weird state and it’s freaking my mom out.”

“Go check it out,” Derek ordered.

Scott looked at Isaac and I, and we nodded. I turned to Derek, and he silently gave me the okay. I leaned up, giving Derek a quick peck before rushing out the door.

“Can Melissa describe what’s going on?” I asked, starting my car. I put the car in reverse and slammed down on the gas and the car lurched back. I then placed the car into drive and slammed on the gas again, shooting off into the direction of the hospital.

We entered in from the back of the hospital and made our way to the morgue, where Melissa was standing there, anxious, with… a… what the fuck was  _that_ ?

“What’s happening to him?” Scott asked.

“I thought you were gonna tell me,” Melissa said, turning to look at her son. “Is it bad?”

“It doesn’t look  _good_ ,” Scott refuted. Jackson suddenly twitched and we pulled back in shock.

“Whoa,” Scott mumbled. “Um, mom, could you zip it up, please?” I shot Scott a look. “What?”

“Your  _mom_ ?” I demanded from Scott. “ _You_ ’re the werewolf here!”

“Then you do it!” Scott pointed at Jackson’s not-so-dead body.

I looked at Jackson’s body and a shiver went up my spine. God, I hope he didn’t suddenly wake up and murder me.

I walked cautiously over to the body bag and took the zipper, zipping it up. It got to his neck, before it jammer and then Jackson hissed.

“Sindy,  _zip_ ,” Scott ordered.

“Don’t you tell me what to do, Scott McCall!” I snapped. “Can’t you see I’m trying?!” I tried to move the zipper, but was completely jammed. Oh  _c’mon_ !

“Zip!” Scott ordered. “Zip, Sindy, zip!” The zipper finally unjammed itself, and I was fully able to encase Jackson in the body bag.

My heart was pounding furiously and I was glad Jackson didn’t bite my arm off. I was quite fond of my right hand. I liked it where it was. It could write, it could help me drive, it helped me gave Derek hand jobs…

Focus, Sindy.

But Derek and hand jobs… You know what's even better though? Giving Derek blow jobs... before actual sex with Derek.  ___Mhm_ .

Right. Focus. Jackson in strange chrysalis. Need to solve that, first. I can sex Derek up later. Speaking of Derek, though. I needed to call him. I pulled out my phone and quickly found him in my contacts.

_“Well?”_ Derek didn’t waste any time, picking up on the first ring.

“There’s this weird transparent casing that’s I think made from the venom in his claws,” I reported.

Derek relayed the message to Peter.

_“That sounds sufficiently terrifying,”_ Peter commented casually.

“Try being forced to be up close and personal with it because  _someone_ was going to get his  _mom_ to re-zip up Jackson,” I looked pointedly at Scott, who was furiously texting who I assumed was Stiles. “He was moving, too. Hey… wait,” I realized.

_“What is it?”_

“The thing kind of looked like a chrysalis,” I told Derek. “What if it’s like a caterpillar? Like… Jackson’s transitioning into a not-so-pretty butterfly.”

“… Are you saying th – there’s a second form?” Isaac asked, looking at the body bag wearily.

_“I think I found something,”_ Peter said.  _“And it looks like your mate’s right, Derek. Looks like what we’ve seen from Jackson is just the kanima’s beta shape.”_

_“That means it can turn into something bigger?”_ Derek questioned.

_“Bigger and badder,”_ Peter informed and my stomach felt really heavy.

“Guys, I can’t even fight Jackson when he was being controlled by  _Matt_ ,” I pointed out reluctantly. As much as I hated to admit it, I was going to be close to useless if Jackson fully transformed into whatever his “alpha” form was.

_“He’s turning into_ that _?”_ I heard Derek ask incredulously.  _“_ That _has wings.”_

_“I can see that,”_ Peter commented.

“Ooh, this isn’t good,” I mumbled, looking worriedly at the other three people in the room. Jackson was moving a bit, too. This  _really_ wasn’t good.

_“Sindy, I need you and Scott and Isaac to bring him to us.”_

“I’m not sure if we have time for that,” Scott said into the phone, seeing the bag move even more.

_“Oh, look, somebody actually made an animation of it,”_ Peter said.  _“Maybe it’s less frightening if we –”_ His voice was abruptly cut off by a large, terrifying screeching sound. My eyes widened and my phone slipped from my hand as I jumped and I fumbled to catch it before it fell to the ground. I heard a slam on the other end as I placed it back next to my ear.  _“Nope. Not at all. We should probably meet him halfway.”_

_“Sindy, get him out of there. Now – Go_ now _.”_

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” I replied before hanging up.

“Okay, Isaac, Sindy, you grab his head. I’ll take his feet,” Scott said.

“Why the fuck do we get the head?” I complained. “I zipped him up and already risked my arm being bitten off.”

“Just do it!” Scott looked at me.

I pouted. “ _Fine_ !” I exclaimed. “But I’m kicking your ass later, Scott.” Scott rolled his eyes – he was doing it now, but watch. He’ll be begging for my forgiveness later.

Isaac and I latched onto the handles of the bag and Jackson moved a bit. Oh dear. Now I see why we needed two people. But – shouldn’t Scott be the man and do this?  _Ugh_ . Whatever. He was a prissy princess.

_I_ was manlier than him.

… Wait, that sounds wrong.

I meant I had more balls than him. Like – I’m tougher. There we go.

Scott lifted up Jackson’s feet, and the three of us moved out of the morgue, with Melissa covering our asses.

“Hold on, hold on,” Scott whispered to us once we were outside. We waited a couple seconds, before he rushed out, “Okay, go. Go, go, go, go, go.”

We walked out quickly, and we reached my car in no time. Scott moved to lower down Jackson, but the back slipped and Jackson’s legs fell to the ground with a  _thump_ .

Scott looked at us like a deer caught in headlights and he bent down to pick up Jackson’s body.

Just then, headlights made their way over here, and I squinted, barely seeing the dark red Chevy Tahoe. I watched as Chris got out of the driver’s side and looked at all three of us.

“You’re alone,” Scott concluded, seeing no other hunters arriving.

“More than you know,” Chris replied softly.

“What do you want?”

“We don’t have much in common, Scott. But at the moment, we have a common enemy.”

“… That’s why I’m trying to get him out of here,” Scott gestured to Jackson’s body.

“I didn’t mean Jackson,” Chris shook his head.

I furrowed my brows. “What do you mean?”

“Gerard has twisted his way into Allison’s head. The same way he did with Kate… and I’m losing her,” Chris replied. He looked at Scott, “And I know you’re losing her, too.”

“You’re right,” Scott concluded and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.  _Again_ with the manipulated Allison. You’d think she’d learn. “So can you trust me to fix this?” Silence. “Then can you let us go?”

“No,” Chris shook his head. “My car has more trunk space.”

That’s true.

We piled Jackson’s body into the back of Chris’s car, and Scott got into the passenger seat while Isaac and I slipped into the backseat. Chris quickly drove off, heading to the meeting point.

We arrived around ten minutes later, and we got out of the car. Isaac and I popped open the trunk and the boy looked at Jackson’s body. “I think he stopped moving,” he reported.

“Where’s Derek?” Chris inquired, looking around.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and the scent around the area changed. I angled my head, and saw a figure running towards us on all fours.

Derek launched himself into the air, and did a front flip, transforming back into his regular human self – minus the glowing red eyes.

A soft growl escaped from my chest involuntarily, and all the males looked at me. I blushed under their gaze before mumbling out, “It was in my instincts. Shut up.”

Derek turned to Chris before turning back to me, demanding an explanation. I opened my mouth to tell him, but Chris interrupted me.

“I’m here for Jackson,” the hunter announced. “Not you.”

“Somehow, I don’t find that very comforting,” Derek replied. “Sindy, get over here.” I listened, leaving Isaac to walk over to Derek. “Get him inside,” Derek instructed the teenaged boys.

Derek and I entered the warehouse, while Chris went back into his car to drive it into the warehouse, with the boys accompanying him.

“Why was Argent with you?” Derek inquired as we walked side by side.

I looked up at Derek and replied, “Apparently, Allison’s being manipulated by Gerard, and he’s losing her. He wants to help us so we can save Allison or something. Not that I really care.”

We joined the other three, and Scott looked at Derek, who had his eyes trained on Jackson’s body bag. “Where are they?” Scott asked.

Derek looked around. “Who?” he asked the younger boy.

“Peter and Lydia,” Scott supplied, but Derek ignored him, bending down to unzip the bag. Well, there goes my work. “Whoa, hold on a second,” Scott said. “You said you knew how to save him.”

“We’re past that,” Derek quipped.

“What about–”

“Think about it, Scott!” Derek turned to the young werewolf, impatient. “He’s turned Jackson into his own personal guard dog. And he set  _all_ of this in motion so that Jackson could get even  _bigger_ and  _more_ powerful.”

“No,” Chris spoke up, making us all turn to him. “No. He wouldn’t do that. If Jackson’s a dog, he’s turning rabid, and my father wouldn’t let a rabid dog live.”

What a lovely father Gerard was.

“Of course not,” an old, sadistic voice spoke up. All of us turned to the source of the voice and spotted Gerard standing there, half in the shadows, half in the moonlight. "Anything  _that_ dangerous,  _that_ out of control – is better off dead.”

Like I said. Lovely man, Gerard.

I should invite him over for some tea some time.

… Nah. He kidnapped my brother. I’m gonna rip his throat out… with my teeth.

Wait, this is the part where I should be listening to the villain gloat. Focus, Sindy.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Derek going in for the kill against Jackson, but suddenly, Jackson woke up and stabbed Derek in the chest.

“Derek!” I called out, alarmed, as my mate was lifted easily with one arm before being thrown away. I darted over to where Derek was and he huffed, growling – now transformed.

“I’m okay,” he growled lowly.

I heard the sound of something whizzing and glanced up. Instinctively, I transformed, and could hear the gun shots and Jackson’s roaring.

Derek and I sprung to action, and we quickly joined Scott and Isaac. We surrounded Jackson in a square formation, and charged right towards him.

I launched myself at Jackson, kicking the kanima in the face and wrapped my legs around him, bringing him to the floor with me. Jackson quickly recovered, though, and wrapped his tail around my feet, before flinging me against the cement wall.

A rush of air escaped from my stomach as the wind was knocked out of me and I fell to the ground.

Holy  **shit** , that fucking hurt.

I moved to go for Jackson, but then I heard something. The sound of blades. I looked from Jackson to Allison really quickly – Derek or Isaac. Derek wasn’t in any way fully injured… Isaac… Isaac was on the ground… bleeding.

I made my choice then and there, and pivoted my foot to head towards Allison.

I tackled her to the ground, away from Isaac before she could deliver the finishing blow. She stabbed me in the back and I roared out in pain before bringing my palm up, hitting her up the chin.

She coughed out blood – good – before trying to hit me again with her knives. I dropped to the ground, and used my hands to push myself back up, kicking Allison on the shoulders.

Using her off-balance as an advantaged, I brought my feet down to kick away her weapons and pinned her to the ground, my claws right in front of her face.

“No, Sindy!” Scott exclaimed as I secretly sniffed her out for any hidden weapons – keeping my eyes trained on her face as the scent filled my nose.

What kind of hunter only carries around two knives?

Allison, apparently.

Allison glared up at me with hatred-filled eyes, and I scoffed in her face. I stood up and simply placed my foot over her chest, keeping her in place. She squirmed, trying to get out of my grip, but I only pressed down harder.

“You’re not moving,” I growled lowly at her. “Make one more move and attempt to escape and I’m crushing your sternum.”

Allison moved to fight back, but Gerard then spoke up, “Not yet, sweetheart.”

“Wh – What are you doing?” Allison demanded from underneath me.

“He’s doing what he came here to do,” Scott announced.

“Then you know,” Gerard declared. I looked into Scott’s eyes, and closed my own, taking in a deep breath.

My eyes snapped open when I realized what it was.

“What’s he talking about?” Allison asked.

“It was the night outside the hospital, wasn’t it, when I threatened your mother,” Gerard realized. “I knew I saw something in your eyes. You could just smell it, couldn’t you?”

“He’s dying,” Isaac coughed out, smelling it as well.

“I am,” Gerard admitted. “I have been for a while now. Unfortunately, science doesn’t have a cure for cancer, yet. But the supernatural does.” He looked down at Derek’s fallen body and I growled, tensing.

“You monster,” Chris cursed.

“Not yet,” Gerard corrected.

“You’ll kill her, too? Once you’re done?” Chris inquired.

“When it comes to survive, I’d kill my own  _son_ !” Gerard exclaimed. “Scott.”

I growled lowly in my throat and went to move, darting towards the teen wolf. I couldn’t let him do this.

All of a sudden, Jackson shot up out of nowhere, and I grunted in pain as he thrust me to the ground. Using my feet, I kicked him in the stomach, and he roared at me.

I wasn’t going to let Derek get in harm’s way.

I let out my own roar, and was surprised at the way the whole **building** shook with my roar. I felt a surge of strength flow through me, and Jackson charged right for me.

He tackled me to the ground and I scuffled with him, returning what he gave to me. I moved to scratch him, but there was no effect on him.

I backed away from him and got in a defensive position, growling lowly.

“S – Sindy…” Derek coughed out. “Y – Your eyes.”

I pulled my attention away from Jackson for a split second, and looked into the side mirror of Chris’s car. My own reflection stared right back at me – but there was a difference…

My eyes were burning a bright red-orange.

I blinked.

Still like the sunset.

Jackson’s roar snapped me out of my daze and I turned my attention back to him. He wrapped his tail around my feet and I grunted in pain when he tossed me. I did a flip in the air and landed easily, but he was too fast.

Jackson’s claws headed straight towards me, and I tried to hold them back. I truly did, but I couldn’t.

One of his claws slipped through my grip and I cried out in pain when it dug through my shoulder, blood spilling everywhere.

The metallic smell burned my nostrils and I collapsed to the ground. I gasped for breath and glanced up at Scott. “S – Scott…” I stuttered out, looking at him through a semi-blurry vision. “Don’t do it.”

Scott looked at me, a desperate look in his eyes.

But… But it wasn’t a desperate need for _Allison_. No.

It was a desperate need for _him_. For me to **trust** him. I blinked, biting my lower lip so hard I tore through the skin.

Scott bent down, grabbing Derek by the back of his neck. “Scott, don’t,” Derek struggled out. “You know that he’s gonna kill me right after. He’ll be an Alpha.”

“That’s true,” Gerard admitted. “But I think he already knows that, don’t you, Scott? He knows that the ultimate prize is Allison. Do this small task for me, and they can be together. You are the only piece that doesn’t fit, Derek. And in case you haven’t learned yet – though you probably should since you have an Alpha Mate – there is just no competing with young love.”

_An Alpha Mate?_

“Scott, don’t!” Derek protested. “Don’t!”

“I’m sorry, but I have to,” Scott apologized, before throwing Derek’s head back, revealing his canines.

Gerard placed his arm in-between Derek’s teeth, and he let out a cry as he was bitten. Derek slumped to the ground, and I watched as he held his arm up in victory.

My eyes widened when I saw blood trickling out – but it wasn’t just regular blood. It was black blood.

Rejected… _poisoned_ blood.

“What?” Gerard demanded. “What is this? What did you do?”

I turned my head to Scott, wincing in pain as I felt my wound stretch painfully. “Everyone said Gerard always had a plan,” Scott said. “I had a plan, too.” He looked at me, giving me a small nod.

I remembered Scott handing Gerard something in the sheriff’s station – and so did the old man. The man pulled out his container of pills. “No, no,” he mumbled. He fisted the pills and when his hand opened, I saw black ash fall. “Mountain ash!”

Black blood continued to pour from every orifice of his body as he fell to his knees. Then, he began to vomit – projectile vomit, by the way – black blood everywhere. The smell burned my nose and eyes so much, and I felt my vision go in and out.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I heard Derek ask.

“Because you might be an Alpha,” Scott’s voice said. “But you’re not mine.”

“Kill them! Kill them **ALL**!!!” Gerard ordered. My vision began to blur and the world began to spin, and I winced, pressing on the wound. There was so much blood and I wasn’t healing fast enough.

There was a sudden crash and I peeled my eyes open just in time to see Stiles’s jeep come barreling in – crashing right into Jackson.

“Did I get him?!” my brother cried out. For a second – I thought he did. Until Jackson hopped onto the roof of the jeep. Stiles and Lydia screamed before rushing out of the car.

“Jackson! Jackson!” Lydia said, just before Jackson struck her. She held up a key, and the kanima looked at it blankly. I watched as the scales slowly begin to fade, before Jackson took the key into his hand.

He began to back away from Lydia slowly, and I saw Jackson spread out his arms, nodding to Derek. Both Peter and Derek lunged for Jackson, launching their claws inside the teen.

They released Jackson’s body as he choked and gasped for air, and the boy fell to his knees, before being captured by Lydia.

“Do you–” he started. “Do you still…?”

“I do,” Lydia weeped softly. “I do still love you. I do, I do still love you. I do. I do. I do still love you. I do,” she repeated softly.

“Where’s Gerard?” I heard Allison ask.

I couldn’t see any more, as my vision faded away, and I was just **so** tired. I heard light scratching – and then a roar – the roar of a werewolf – an unfamiliar one at that.

Jackson was one of us now… I could tell.

I felt arms surround me, and ripped my shirt was ripped open, revealing my wound – which was still slowly healing, but I couldn’t… I couldn’t feel much anymore. “Stay with me, Sindy,” he said. “Stay with me.

I heard rushed footsteps, and said. “Oh my God,” Stiles choked out. “Wh – Why’s there so much blood? Is – Is she healing?!”

“She is,” Peter said. “But slowly. Too slow. She’ll die of blood loss before she can even fully heal. Jackson’s poison isn’t letting her heal as fast – as fast as an Alpha should.”

“… What the fuck did I miss?”

“Sindy,” Derek said, cradling me softly.

“Derek…” I mumbled out. “I’m so tired.”

“No,” he said. “No,” he shook his head. “Don’t fall asleep. If you sleep now… y – you’ll never wake up again.”

“I really love you, you know that?” I mumbled quietly, my words slurred together. _God_ the darkness was just so tempting.

“I really love you, too,” Derek said quietly. “So I’m not letting you go anywhere.” He leaned down, and despite the blood – the filth around us all… he placed his lips on top of mine. He trailed down my cheek, to where my mark was, and bit down.

I gasped, when a surge of pain filled me. I gripped his shirt tightly and let out a roar – another roar that shook the room.

“Wh – What’s happening?!” Scott and Stiles cried, in a large panic. My roar quickly turned into a scream, and soon – I couldn’t hear anything.

I could feel pieces of me stretching, but then… Then I felt warmth. A gentle, soft, wet tongue slid over my wound, and I could feel it – closing as the blood inside my body throbbed so fast and hard it was almost painful.

I gasped for breath as Derek pulled away, his lips completely bloody. He wiped away the blood from his lips and smiled softly at me.

“That. Was. **AWESOME**!” Stiles exclaimed. “… Could somebody **please** tell me what happened?”

“True mates,” Peter said quietly as Derek helped me up.

“… Wh – What?” I asked.

“While it’s true that werewolves mate once – most don’t find their **true** mate at all. They last through a lifetime, loving their mate, but they lack the natural – destined bond that true mates have.

“A true mate’s bond can stop even when _death_ when their mate is on the brink of it… and that is what Derek did. And what’s even **more** interesting, dear Sindy, is that **you** are an Alpha Mate.”

“What the hell’s an Alpha Mate?” I grumbled, rubbing the back of my head. Why couldn’t my healing heal my throbbing head, too?

“An Alpha Mate is very rare – even amongst true mates. It’s when a bond is so powerful – so pure – so filled with love and protectiveness, they’ll stop at **nothing** to protect their mate **and** pack. And that – Sindy, brings out the inner strength and purity of an Alpha werewolf… Someone like _you_.”

“Then that means no one touches Derek, Isaac, or Stiles,” I mumbled. “You guys do, I’m ripping your throat out with my teeth.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, sis,” Stiles patted. He bent down and looked at me, and for the first time in hours, I’ve seen my brother. I looked at his eyes, which were quite watery, but he quickly wiped it away. “I scratched my jeep. Anyway, my sister’s an **Alpha** now. How cool is that?!”

The corner of my lips twitched and I grinned. “Very.” I moved to stand up, but Derek wasn’t having any of it. I squealed when he scooped me up off my feet – literally – and held me in his arms. “I can walk.”

“So I’ve seen multiple times,” Derek replied. “But for now, you’re getting as much rest as you can. You might’ve fully healed physically – but you need to rest mentally as well.”

“So can I sleep, now?”

“Mhm,” Derek nodded, and I rested my head against his chest. I could feel him move as he walked away, carrying me in his arms. My eyelids got heavier as he walked, and I fell asleep slowly, to the rhythm of his breathing, footsteps, and heartbeat.


	41. Alpha Mates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anal fingering and knotting warning for those of you squeemish on those.

**SUNDAY  
** **APRIL 6, 2011**

I held Derek’s hand in mine gently as Peter, Derek, Isaac, and I approached the old Hale House. I furrowed my brows, looking at the symbol that was carved on the entrance of the door. I turned to look at Derek, arching a brow, silently asking for an explanation.

“You haven’t told them everything yet, have you?” Peter drawled, making Isaac and I turn to him.

“What do you mean?” Isaac inquired.

“Why do you think Derek was in such a hurry to build his pack?” Peter quizzed us. “So eager to strengthen his power and his number? When there’s a new Alpha – two, now – people take notice.”

“People like who?” Isaac asked. He walked towards the door and extended an arm, touching the carving with his fingers. “What is this? What does this mean?”

Derek walked forward, taking me with him. “It’s their symbol,” Derek explained. “And it means they’re coming.”

I furrowed my brows, feeling a strange tingle down my spine – and not the good kind. “Who?” I asked quietly.

Derek glanced down at me and then at Isaac. “Alphas,” he informed us.

It didn’t escape me that he used the plural term, and from Isaac’s next question, he didn’t miss it either. “More than one?”

“A pack of them,” Derek confirmed.

“An  _Alpha pack_ ,” Peter elaborated. “And they’re not coming. They’re already here.”

I pursed my lips as Isaac turned to look at me. I hadn’t even realized I was gripping Derek’s hand tightly until his free hand wrapped around my wrist. My eyes widened before I released his hand.

“They’re not going to strike now,” Derek said quietly. “Not after the whole incident with Jackson. They’re going to wait. For now, get some rest.” He directed the last sentence to Isaac. “Come with me,” he ordered me.

I gave a small wave to Isaac and glanced at Peter briefly before getting into Derek’s Camaro.

“Where are we going?” I asked once Derek pulled out.

Derek glanced at me before explaining, “My new loft.”

“Oh?” I arched a brow, turning to look at Derek. “So you finally got a place to stay?”

“I had a place to stay.”

I gave Derek a look. “An abandoned location where a subway car was rusting is  _not_ a place to stay, Derek. And neither is the burned Hale House.” Derek rolled his eyes, but didn’t refute my statements.

I angled my body to look at his side profile. His angular jaw was semi-clenched as he drove, his eyes focused on the road in front of him. I bit my lower lip as my eyes trailed down his body, looking at his muscular forearms, which were hidden by his long-sleeve shirt. Actually,  _everything_ was hidden by clothing, and I didn’t like that.

“You’re wearing far too much clothing,” I ended up blurting out.

Derek glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and said without missing a beat, “You are, too.”

I looked down at the clothes I was wearing: a semi-long sleeve burgundy blouse and a floral skirt. “What are you talking about?” I asked, looking at my bare legs.

“You’re not naked,” Derek replied simply.

Heat filled my cheeks at his blunt comment. I should be used to it by now, but I wasn’t, for some odd reason. Sometimes, when he just made those comments, it sent my body into overdrive and I would bite my bottom lip while my lower lips moistened.

Judging by the way Derek’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and his sharp intake of breath, he could smell it.

The corner of my lips curled upwards as an idea popped into my head. My hands moved from my lap, and they slowly trailed up my body. A soft sigh escaped from my lips as my hands delicately touched over my skin through my shirt, before I cupped my breasts, squeezing the mounds gently.

“ _Mhmm_ …” I hummed quietly, eyes darting over to Derek. He was looking at me through the corner of his eyes, so I unbuckled my seatbelt, before angling myself so I was fully facing him, kicking off my flats while turning.

“Just keep driving,” I instructed, a small smile on my face as I reached underneath my top from the back. I unhooked my bra, and the material popped open underneath my shirt, before falling to my hips, as it was a strapless.

I lifted my feet so they were on the driving shaft, and my skirt fell back to my hips. I trailed down my body, before grabbing the waistband of my panties beneath my skirt.

I dragged the fabric down my legs, stretching them so they were placed over Derek’s lap. The material slipped from my legs, before I bent them, making my panties fall right over Derek’s growing crotch. I giggled softly when he growled lowly in his chest, my scent filling the car even more.

I placed my feet back onto the driving shaft, propping my legs open for Derek to see. I leaned back against the door of the Camaro, pulling down the front of my shirt slowly. My breasts popped open and I slid the neckline so it was under my breasts, supporting them while keeping them open for Derek to see.

“You can smell it, can’t you?” I asked softly, as my arousal trickled softly, damping the inside of my skirt. I lifted my hips so I could pull it from underneath me. My butt was then lowered onto the smooth leather of the Camaro seat, and I hummed softly, feeling my juices drip slowly down my lower lips. “Betcha it looks and tastes great, too.” I added with a small wink.

“Nothing smells, looks, or tastes better,” Derek’s chest rumbled deeply and I shivered at his tone. It was a tone full of promise – that was for sure.

“I dunno,” I drawled. “You taste  _amazing_ .” I licked my lips, eyes darting to his growing crotch as I imagined myself wrapping my lips around him as he throbbed inside my mouth.  _Mhmm_ . Now  _that_ was delicious. I wonder if he minded letting me blow him 24/7?

I pushed my skirt further up my hips and moved my feet so they were on the seat now. My fingers brushed up my wet lips once gently, and I moaned softly as my lower body tingled with anticipation.

There was just something so  _arousing_ about touching myself while Derek watched on. Well, to be honest,  _everything_ about him was arousing.

I knew my lips were glistening for him, and I sighed, pressing against my slit. I threw my head back against the cold window and began to rub up and down, loving the way my gentle lips felt against the pads of my fingers, while accompanied by the soft scratching of my curls.

My left hand went up and cupped my breast, and I arched my back into my touches, moaning softly. I pinched my nipple, and a small squeak escaped me.

Derek groaned softly and I decided to help him out a little bit. I sat up, still rubbing myself gently as I reached for the zipper of his pants. I grabbed my wet panties and threw them to the side, before working the zipper and button of his jeans.

Both Derek and I moaned softly at the sound of the gently unzipping, and I looked down at Derek, where his arousal was being restricted by his boxer briefs. I pulled the elastic down, and angled my wrist so I could pull him out gently.

I switched hands, so my right hand wrapped around him, lubricating him with my juices while my left hand replaced my right. I got onto my knees and whispered into his ear gently, “ _Please_ , Derek,” I begged him quietly. “Hurry up. I need you. I need you so  _badly_ ,” I groaned the last word out as two of my fingers slid so  _easily_ inside me.

I gasped for breath as my fingers began to work myself, all the while pumping Derek’s hard shaft. Both he and I moaned together and I could hear him grip the steering wheel tightly. “ _Yes_ ,” I groaned softly, working both of us faster.

Feeling myself tighten around my fingers, I pulled away from Derek, hearing him growl loudly in protest, but I was too far gone to care. I collapsed back into my seat and spread my legs again, and began to furiously pump in and out of me at a frantic pace.

My other hand moved so it could circle my clit, and I cried loudly, throwing my head back against the glass of the window of the door. I whimpered, teeth clenching together as I felt myself get tighter and tighter. I curled my fingers and when I hit the familiar spongy spot, I yelped in pleasure.

I continued to pound away inside me, feeling my fingers get slicker and slicker as each second ticked by. The insides of my pussy clenched tightly around my fingers, so tightly that it sudden forced my fingers out, and I moaned at the loss, but my dominant hand automatically went to my clit.

I began to rub the little nub, and cried out when I felt my insides clench tightly, before little, multiple squirts of juice slid burst out of me. I felt the car come to a screeching stop, and Derek got out of the car after zipping himself up.

I almost fell out of my seat as my door suddenly popped open, but was quickly scooped up in Derek’s arms. He quickly picked me up, and walked quickly towards the entrance of a dark (and abandoned) building, before all but using his inhumane speed to get to the very top.

He pushed open a large, steel door, the sound echoing in the giant loft before he placed me down on my shaky feet. Derek bent down, crashing his lips onto mine, and I moaned into his mouth as our teeth clashed, throwing my arms around his neck.

He pulled away and trailed kisses down my neck, and I angled my head, allowing him to nip at the skin freely. My eyes were half-lidded, and that was when I spotted something.

“Wait, wait, wait,” I said, a burst of excitement replacing most of my arousal.

Derek growled impatiently, but pulled back. “What is it?” he asked, his eyes flashing an annoyed red.

“You have a balcony!” I squealed, before darting off, running to the end of the room. I quickly found the glass door and slid it open, before stepping out onto the concrete balcony. As this was a loft, there wasn’t a railing, but rather, a half-cement wall to keep people from falling off.

I realized my boobs were still hanging out of my shirt, and moved to adjust them, but a hand suddenly shot out, grabbing my wrists. I was suddenly thrown against the glass wall that separated the balcony from the inside of the loft, and I moaned, feeling Derek press his hard body against mine.

“You can admire the balcony later,” Derek growled lowly, before crashing his lips back on mine. His hands snaked in-between our bodies and grabbed my breasts roughly, squeezing them together. I moaned softly as he massaged them, pinching and squeezing the nipples, eliciting shocks to radiate through my body.

I felt his arousal press against my lower stomach, and I remembered what I wanted to do earlier. I pushed Derek away from me, and he seemed thoroughly irritated. However, as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared when I dropped to my knees in front of him, unzipping and unbuttoning the denim.

As I worked his pants, he pulled off his shirt for me, and I decided to follow his example and take off my shirt as well. We tossed our articles of clothing to the side, and I continued to work his pants.

I couldn’t help but let out a gleeful smile when I pulled down his boxer briefs, revealing Derek’s hardened cock. I gripped the base firmly, before licking the mushroom top, angling my head to look up at Derek’s face.

The look on his face was filled with pure pleasure as I wrapped my lips around him, and began to take him deep into my mouth. He groaned loudly as I did so, and I moaned at the feeling of him filling my mouth.

I took him deep, and groaned as he hit the back of my throat. I moved my head back, and took a deep breath, before pressing him against his stomach, before nuzzling the underside of his warm cock, before moving down to take his balls into my mouth.

I suckled and nibbled at them gently, and he groaned above me, wrapping his hand into my locks. I lapped at the sacks, taking in his musky scent and deep taste, before moving back up and wrapping my mouth around him.

Suddenly, I was pulled away and I whined. “I wasn’t done yet,” I complained as Derek moved me so I was leaning over the half-wall.

“I’ll finish in your mouth later,” Derek growled from behind me, pushing my skirt down. I could hear the shuffling behind me as he got rid of his shoes, socks, and pants from behind. “Right now, I need to be inside you,” he said, before pushing into me roughly.

I moaned at his sudden intrusion, gripping the top of the wall. “F – Fair enough,” I struggled out as Derek placed his hands on the side of my hips, pounding into me at a fevered pace.

“D – Derek!” I cried out, leaning my head against the top of the wall. A long, drawn out moan escaped from my lips as Derek pushed in and out of me roughly. I stood on shaky legs, throwing my arms over the top of the wall to keep myself from falling as he kept impaling me roughly.

“Sindy,” he moaned lowly from behind me, his hands coming up to squeeze my breasts. “That’s it,” he grunted out, angling his body slightly. I jumped a bit when he began to pound at my g-spot, pushing and hitting the spongy spot that I loved being hit.

“Yes!” I cried out, hips moving on their own accord. “That’s it!” I encouraged. “Right  _therrrre_ ,” I drawled out in pleasure. “Yes!”

A sharp yelp escaped from my lips as he suddenly lifted me up so I was a bit higher. I wrapped my legs around his hips, and used my arm to support me so I was almost perpendicular with his body. “ _Oh_ !” I cried when he hit a new angle inside me.

“Shit!” I cursed, feeling myself tighten around him. “Oh God, I’m so close, Derek! I’m close!”

“I know,” he growled in return. “I can feel your pussy tightening around me.” I moaned at his words and dropped my head on my arms.

I felt his hands move from my hips to gently press against my arched back, before he grabbed my ass cheeks firmly. He spread them apart, and I could feel a finger prodding at my second entrance.

“Please, Derek,” I moaned, bucking my hips. “Please.”

“I can feel you getting tighter, Sindy,” Derek said, finger tickling my second hole, lubricated by my juices from earlier. “Does the idea of me taking you here excite you? That I – and  **only** I – will stake claim on  _all_ of you?”

**WARNING FOR ANAL FINGERING.**

"Yes!” I exclaimed. “Yes! So much!” I encouraged him, bucking my hips once again. I moaned loudly when his finger pushed slowly inside me, while he continued to thrust in and out of me. Both of my holes clenched tightly, and Derek groaned in response.

“So tight,” he mumbled, still thrusting. I could feel his index finger moving inside me, rubbing against my tight walls, while another traced the outside.

“ _Hngggh_ ,” I groaned in reply.

I could feel him moving inside of me: his cock pounding away into my pussy roughly, while his index finger worked my asshole gently, but still pleasurable all the same. My eyes popped open when I felt his middle finger squeezing its way inside me, joining my middle finger.

“Relax…” Derek cooed quietly.

I took in a deep, shaky breath, and did as he told me. I groaned loudly when I felt the first knuckle of his middle finger slide into me – the second… and then fully seat itself. I whimpered softly, never having felt so full before.

Derek continued moving inside me, roughly in one, and gently in another. The fullness was getting too much for me to handle. I clenched around him tightly, and the pit feeling was starting to get full…  _fast_ .

I moaned beneath him, and I could feel it. My hands moved back, and I gripped my cheeks firmly, as my toes began to curl. It was a damn good thing I was off my feet, or else I would be collapsing right about now. 

**CARRY ON. IT’S SAFE NOW.**

I felt myself tighten more and more, before Derek pulled his fingers out of me, grabbing my hips. He pushed into me in one strong, hard thrust, and I cried as the dam burst, and a rush of liquid pushed out of me, forcing Derek out as well.

I shook and spasmed gently, my legs falling limp as I could feel my orgasm spreading through me. Derek moved to push himself back inside me, but I whimpered, pulling away. There was  _no way_ I could handle him inside me right now.

And he apparently knew it, too, because he gripped the top of my thighs firmly, and pushed back inside me.

I screeched loudly, my hands flying to the concrete wall. I gripped it tightly as another wave of orgasm flowed through me, and Derek helped me ride it out, thrusting inside me over and over again as I came down from my high.

He finally slipped out of me, and I panted heavily. I collapsed to the ground on top of the little puddle I made, as Derek tugged and pulled at himself a few inches away from me.

I panted heavily, but couldn’t stop the rush of arousal that filled me as Derek remembered his promise to me earlier. Like the good girl I was, I opened my mouth for him.

He smirked, and walked forward, removing his hand from himself. His hands tangled into my locks, and he pushed into my cavern slowly, careful to not make me choke as I relaxed my throat to take him in.

He shallowly thrust into me, taking control as I wasn’t able to do much. By now, I was just a pile of goo. Derek pulsed and throbbed inside of me, and I moved my head up and down as he thrust. I hallowed out my cheeks, and ran my tongue against a particularly thick vein, before biting down gently.

Derek groaned loudly, and pushed all the way down my throat, as the first burst of cum launched out of him. I pulled back slightly so I could actually taste him, and suckled him gently, extracting his cum from him. He moaned above me, as I swallowed every drop of his thick essence.

He released my locks gently as he came down from his high, and I pulled back. I licked my lips, and swallowed whatever was left in my mouth. “Tasty,” I grinned from where I sat.

Derek chuckled breathlessly, before leaning against the half-wall. “You minx,” he breathed out, his chest moving up and down. I winked in response, and stood up. I stumbled slightly, but Derek caught me easily.

“Whoops,” I giggled softly. “Looks like even werewolf healing can’t keep up with you, huh?”

Derek threw me a smirk, and I finally got a glimpse of the view. The loft was taller than most buildings, with it overlooking most of the downtown area. “Oh wow…” I gaped, seeing how nice the view was from up here. “It looks amazing.”

I ran back inside the loft, eager to see what else this loft had. It was very Derek: simple, with only the necessities. I spotted a large, king-sized bed with dark sheets on one end of the loft, with a table with a couple chairs – most likely for planning should we ever need it.

There was a large spiral staircase, and I could only assumed that was where the bathroom was, as there didn’t look like there was one anywhere here. It was pretty much empty, but still… it felt nice to be here.

… Or maybe that was because I was still naked and the spring breeze felt good.

Either way, it was nice.

I spotted an armoire not too far way, and walked over to it. Better put some clothes on.

“You don’t have to put on clothes,” I heard Derek say from a few feet behind me as I pulled open the dresser. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw him dressed in his boxer briefs, with his dark jeans hanging loosely around his hips.

“But we have to talk about last night, don’t we?” I asked, turning back to the armoire. I pulled out one of Derek’s white wife beaters and threw it on me. I was immensely satisfied by the way it hugged around my chest, before falling like a slim dress to my mid-thighs. I was definitely stealing Derek’s clothes when we have sleepovers. “I can’t do that when I’m naked.”

I heard Derek exhale gently, before sitting down on the end of his bed. I walked over to him, before taking a seat on his lap, my legs on either side of him. His hands pressed against the small of my back, holding me steady.

“Sindy,” Derek said calmly. I glanced up at him. “Let me see your eyes.”

I nodded, and closed my eyes before opening them. Everything around me got sharper, and I knew my eyes had changed colors – revealing the wolf inside me.

His hands cradled my face and his eyes suddenly shifted to blood red. I blinked, looking into his eyes. “Who would’ve thought…” he said quietly, mostly to himself. “You would be my True Mate.”

“What does that technically mean?” I inquired, cocking my head to the side.

“It means…” Derek started, leaning down. He lapped gently at where my mark was, and I moaned softly, involuntarily bucking my hips into him. “You’re the werewolf equivalent to my soulmate.”

“I like that,” I mumbled softly, angling my head to reveal more of my skin for him.

“Your strength comes not only from you, but also from us – Stiles, Scott, Isaac, me… anyone you deem as your family,” Derek said against my skin, lapping gently at my mark. “The stronger your bonds – the stronger you’ll become.” He brushed my hair gently and I moaned softly at his touch.

“Derek…” I whispered out. “Derek, I need you.”

Derek shushed me quietly, flicking his tongue over my mark. “I know.” I moaned softly, before my hands splayed over his bare chest. I pushed him down gently, and he landed on the large bed.

I stood up from the bed, and looked down at Derek. He scooted up his bed, and I moved to peel off his shirt from my body. As I did so, I could hear him remove his own clothing, and by the time I got the shirt off, Derek was throwing his pants and boxer briefs away somewhere else.

I dropped the shirt at my feet and licked my lips, eyes running over Derek’s body. A small surge of possessiveness filled my body, and I climbed onto the bed, crawling up between his open legs.

Stopping when I was right next to his cock, I licked my lips again, before looking up at Derek. He was staring back at me with strong, intense green eyes. “You’re awfully eager today,” Derek groaned softly as I wrapped my hand around his base.

“It’s been almost a week,” I purred softly. “I missed having you all to myself.” I leaned down, kissing his tip before wrapping my lips around his mushroom top. I lapped at the meatus, before pulling back. I kissed the top gently, and moved up his body.

I angled Derek, and lowered myself, spreading my wetness all along the underside of his cock. I moaned softly, feeling a trickle of juice slip out of me and onto Derek. His tip pushed against my clit, and I wiggled above him, causing the two of us to elicit pleasured groans.

Angling him once again, I made sure his tip was pointing up directly at my entrance, and sunk down on him. The way he filled me caused me to groan, and I placed my hand on his hard chest, before beginning my rhythm.

I bounced on top of him eagerly, free to do as I pleased as Derek held me steady by my sides. I cried out loudly as he hit the inside of me over and over again, and when I would tire of bouncing, I would rub against him, grinding against his pelvis.

His rough hairs of his happy trail and pubic bone would tickle my clit every time I did that, and I would moan loudly. I opened my eyes just a crack, and could feel myself clench tightly when I saw Derek.

His eyes were completely focused on me, with nothing else around us mattering. As our eyes locked and our breathing came together, his hands slid up my body sensually, before grabbing my breasts tightly.

I moaned softly at his touch, before arching my back. With my right hand, I reached behind me gently, and it didn’t take me long to find my goal. As I did, Derek bucked his hips rather roughly and my eyes flew open in shock, a surprised, “ _Oh!_ ” escaping from my lips.

Squeezing Derek’s balls gently in my hand – I mimicked the massaging he did to my breasts. Our eyes didn’t stray from one another, and I felt myself clench even tighter around him. My hand was slippery as it slid over his sack easily – obviously lubricated by whatever juices that flowed out of me.

Derek thrust up roughly again, and I groaned, willing my eyes to stay open. I continued my rhythm, and gasped, as he continued to meet my bounces with thrusts, and I fell forward over his chest, groaning loudly into his skin.

I panted heavily as Derek’s hands moved to my hips, holding me steady to allow him to do all the work. A shaky, stuttering moan fell from my lips as he pounded into me from beneath me, and I felt my canines grow. As I got closer and closer, Derek angled his head for me, revealing the side of his neck to me.

I brushed my teeth against his skin, before finding the place where I had bitten him before. Before I could actually bite down on him, however, he suddenly picked up speed, and I screamed, clenching his biceps tightly as I began my release.

Crying out loudly, I could feel myself cum everywhere as he continued to pound into me, and I shakily tried to pull away. It was all too much. I wept against his skin, and attempted to move my hips, but he forcefully kept me down on top of him.

As I came down from my orgasm, I vaguely remembered what I was supposed to do, and bit down, tearing at his skin. He cried out loudly, his roar echoing in the empty loft, and I felt him throb inside of me. My eyes widened as a familiar sensation flowed through me, as he began to increase in size inside me.

I could feel him fill me deep inside, and I gripped his arms tightly, flailing as I tried to pull myself off him. I was going to cum again at this rate. Oh  _God_ . It felt so good and exciting yet so much at the same time. I didn’t know if I could handle it. As I tried to pull out from around him, he held me firmly in place, making sure I had no chance of escaping.

**WARNING FOR KNOTTING.**

I cried loudly as Derek swelled inside me even more, before effectively locking himself within my moist walls. My scream was so loud that my voice cracked as I felt myself throb around Derek – reaching yet another orgasm.

I clawed at Derek’s arms, and he held me steady as my orgasm ripped through me. I shook above him, unable to stop the pleasurable yet tiring sensations that radiated throughout my body.

As I came down from my high, I collapsed on top of Derek’s chest, and took in deep, heavy breaths. I whimpered above him, still shaking slightly from the aftermath of my orgasm.

Derek chuckled softly, buried deep inside of me as his chest rumbled against mine. “There’s no escaping me, Sindy,” he said. “I’ll  _always_ be there to drag you right back to me.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do with you buried all the way inside me?” I pouted, feeling my strength returning.

I looked up at Derek and he quirked an eyebrow at me. “What do your instincts tell you to do?” my mate inquired.

“To fuck the living hell out of you,” I ended up blurting out. My eyes widened in shock and I slapped my hands over my mouth. “Oh  _God_ !” I moaned in mortification. Here I was, lying naked on top of my mate with him literally locked inside me – and my word vomit comes out. Did I have  **no** brain to mouth filter?

Derek chuckled deeply, before reaching up and gently removing my hands from my mouth. He looked into my eyes, which had undoubtedly taken the “deer caught in headlights” look and he gently massaged my cheeks, making my facial expression relax.

“Then why don’t you do so?” he whispered, lowering my face so it was barely on top of his.

“I – I don’t know how,” I admitted. How the  _hell_ was I supposed to have sex with my boyfriend who was  **knotted** inside me?

“Trust your instincts,” Derek instructed patiently. “Don’t think. Just feel. Just feel like you always do, and your instincts will take over.”

I nodded slowly, and closed my eyes. I took in one – two – three, deep breaths before I opened my eyes. Everything around me suddenly was clearer, and I knew my wolf had surfaced itself.

I closed my eyes again, but this time, I leaned in, closing the distances between Derek and me. I kissed him with all the passion I could muster, and he returned it just as enthusiastically. I began to swivel my hips gently, and moaned softly at the way Derek moved around inside me, hitting every inch of my walls.

I growled into the kiss softly, as a sensation filled me. This man was  **mine** – and mine alone. I pulled back, and I felt myself pulse around him. I placed both hands on the bed, framing his face, and looked down at him.

He placed his hands on my hips, and I growled lowly again, seeing his eyes flash red. This was  **my** Alpha.  **My** mate.  **Mine** .

I began to buck my hips, slowly at first, before building a rhythm. I swiveled my hips above him, and moaned as I clenched the bed sheets tightly, growling possessively as my eyes locked onto Derek’s blood red ones.

“That’s it,” he grunted, holding me as I thrashed and moved roughly against him. “That’s right. Fuck me, Sindy. I’m yours.”

“ _Mine_ ,” I growled out, my voice several octaves deeper than usual – and extra throaty.

He supported me easily as I moved above him, rubbing my clit against his pelvis while he moved around inside me. The knot pulled against my opening every time I moved, but instead of finding it painful, I found it  _immensely_ pleasurable.

Low rumbled escaped from my chest and I snarled when Derek loosened his grip. “Hold me tight,” I barked at him, and he complied to my request as I moved above him. He moved around inside me, pushing against the left, right, top, and bottom walls of me.

I could feel myself getting closer and closer again, and rolled my eyes to the back of my head, arching my back so I was perpendicular against Derek. I swiveled my hips in circles, and we groaned together. I reached up, cupping my breasts tightly.

“Who do you belong to, Derek?” I rumbled darkly, looking down at said man.

“You,” he mumbled.

“Who was that?” I asked. “I couldn’t quite here you.”

“ _You_ ,” he snarled out, much louder than before.

“That’s right,” I panted out, swiveling my hips even faster and harder. “You’re  **mine** . And I’m going to make sure  **everyone** knows it. Fucking cum, Derek. Cum in me.”

“Fuck,” Derek cursed in response, and I could feel him tighten inside me as my walls closed around him. “Fuck,” he repeated. “I’m close.”

“That’s it,” I encouraged, willing my orgasm to stay. I needed to prove to everyone just who Derek belonged to. He was my Alpha as much as I was  **his Alpha** now.

Derek roared underneath me, and he pulsed and throbbed inside me – the intervals getting shorter and shorter. All of a sudden, he stiffened beneath me, and I felt him spurt and release inside of me deeply. I groaned as he did so and clenched my thighs tightly, gritting my teeth tightly so I didn’t cum.

The second I felt him loosening around inside me, I stood up quickly, standing over Derek.

I cried loudly, tears leaking from the corner of my eyes as I released above him, and my legs shook as I thrust into the air, my hand flying to my clit to help me ride out my orgasm as my juices flew out of me, landing all over Derek – leaving my scent all over him.

**CARRY ON, IT’S SAFE NOW. DON’T MISS THE FLUFF.**  

I shakily fell to my knees, and Derek caught me gently, holding my spasming body. He lowered me down gently onto the bed next to him, and I took in deep, heavy breaths.

I watched as Derek moved out of bed, grabbing the discarded shirt I had left earlier and he began to wipe at his stomach.

I couldn’t help but let out a giggle – which later soon turned into a full-belly laugh. I rolled on the bed, giddy as can be as I watched my mate wipe off my essence off of him, but the scent still lingered.

Once Derek was done, he climbed back onto the bed, and looked at me. “What was so funny?”

I simply smiled, and leaned down, so my face was next to his strong abdomen. I took in a big whiff, and immediately, the scent of my juices filled my nostrils. I pulled back and beamed up at Derek, “My scent’s all over you now.”

Derek simply chuckled and pulled me into his arm. “Silly girl,” he said, stroking my head softly. “Your scent has always been on me. We’re mates. I’m just as much yours as you are mine.”

“I like that,” I said simply, snuggling into his chest. “And that whole Alpha thing?  _Wow_ . Can we do that again some other time? I’m too tired right now. But it’s no wonder you like making me submit to you. It feels so  _good_ .”

I could practically  _hear_ Derek roll his eyes and he continued to stroke my long hair gently. “What are your plans next weekend?”

“I dunno,” I replied honestly. “Why?”

“Spend the day with me.”

“I already  _do_ spend my days with you, silly,” I teased, lifting my head to up look at him. He arched his eyebrows at me and I realized. “ _Oh_ !” I exclaimed. A wide smile spread over my lips. “Like a date?”

“Yeah.”

“Ooh,” I said, before rolling so I was on top of Derek. His arms moved to hold the small of my back, before he reached down, gently massaging my butt. “What are we going to do?”

“How about some lunch?” Derek inquired, his rough hands trailing up my soft body. “And then a walk in the woods…” He nuzzled the top of my head. “Just a slow day.”

“I like that,” I announced, turning my head to nuzzle into his chest. I fluttered my eyelashes, giving him soft butterfly kisses. “I can’t wait.” I turned my head up, and leaned down, kissing Derek’s lips softly.

Derek inhaled sharply, before rolling over so we were on our sides. He pulled me close to him, and deepened the kiss, all the while gently rubbing my back. I leaned into his touch, and we lied there together, unable to keep the smile off my face.


	42. First Date

**SATURDAY  
** **APRIL 12, 2011**

"You're in a good mood," Stiles commented casually from my doorway.

"Derek's taking me out," I informed, glancing at the doorway. My curling iron was in my hand as I attempted to make my hair a bit bouncier.

"… Derek's taking out you," Stiles repeated, taking his popsicle out of his mouth. "You mean… like on a  _date_?" He looked at me incredulously, his light brown eyes slightly wide.

I nodded. "Mhm-hm."

"Huh," Stiles scoffed. "Derek Hale on a date. Who'd have thought? I can't really imagine Derek going on a date."

I turned off the curling iron as I finished the last of my curls and bounced them slightly with my hands. I gave a satisfied smile before turning to my brother. "To be honest, I can't really, either. But we're just going for some lunch and a walk."

"That explains the shoes," Stiles said, pointing to the dark, high-top Converse I wore.

"That explains the shoes," I confirmed before standing up, going over to grab a dark cardigan. I threw it over my shoulders of my white shirt before asking, "What are you doing today?"

"Probably just gonna head over to Scott's," Stiles shrugged.

I frowned as I looked at my appearance in the mirror, taking in the simple ensemble I threw on. I turned to the side, looking at how the floral skirt looked. "He's  _still_  moping?"

"He's still moping," my brother confirmed with a heavy sigh. I let out a heavy sigh of my own and turned around to look at my brother. "Don't even know why he and Allison broke up if they're  _both_  like that."

"I don't know myself," I replied, grabbing my bag. "You need me to pick up anything?"

Stiles shook his head. "Nah. Go have fun on your date with Derek." I arched my brow, looking at my brother. I couldn't believe he just said that. "I can't believe I just said that," Stiles echoed my thoughts. He shook his head and walked out of my room, mumbling to himself.

I could hear the Camaro pull up my driveway, and I skipped downstairs. I threw the door open eagerly, and was met with a shocking bouquet full of colors. My eyes widened in surprise and I stumbled back in shock.

I watched as Derek popped his head out from the side of the bouquet and he gave me a bright, wide smile. Automatically, my own lips turned up brightly and I wrapped my arms around Derek.

"You didn't have to get me flowers," I said, my voice muffled by the fabric of his long-sleeve shirt.

"But it made you happy, didn't it?" Derek inquired, wrapping his arms around me. I smiled softly into his chest, before pulling away.

I took the flowers from him, taking in a deep breath. They smell fresh, wet, and like the night sky. "I'll put these in something," I said. I sure hope we had a vase.

I walked over into the kitchen, searching around for a vase. I finally found one after a few seconds of searching and filled it up with water, before taking the flowers out of their wrapping. I placed them gently into the vase, and smiled at the way the bright colors beamed back at me, reflecting off against the spring sun.

I looked down at the flowers, seeing the one type of flower (that I couldn't identify) in various shades of purple, pink, yellow, and white. That must've been a sight to see: Derek, who only dressed in dark colors, with a bright-colored bouquet.

Happily giddy, I walked back to the doorway with a small bounce in my step. I blinked when I saw my brother standing there, counting on his fingers the list of "rules" he had, all the while reading from a piece of paper while Derek looked down at him.

"My sister's curfew is one," Stiles announced. "No later than that, or I'm serving your sourwolf-ass on a platter. Second, no inappropriately touching my sister. I don't give a crap if she's your mate. That's statutory rape. Third, my sister doesn't have any allergies, but she doesn't really like onions, so I suggest not taking her a place that serves a ton of those. And fourth and finally, if you break my sister's heart, I'm finding a way to break your face without breaking my hand."

"Stiles!" I exclaimed, walking over to my brother and mate. "Relax. It's just Derek."

"And that's  _exactly_  why I'm enforcing these rules," Stiles said, crossing his arms. "Derek  _has_  to know how important you are."

I blinked at my brother, wondering where this overprotectiveness came from all of a sudden, and despite the fact that it should've annoyed me, I found myself highly touched.

"He's right, Sindy," Derek said, snaking an arm around my waist

"I am?" Stiles looked taken aback. Then he cleared his throat. "I mean, yeah. Of course."

Derek looked at Stiles and said, "She'll be home before one. I can't guarantee the second one because she's highly irresistible. I already know she doesn't like onions. And if that ever happens, I'll find a way to not heal."

"Three out of four's not bad," Stiles mumbled before nodding affirmatively. "Now, you kids have fun." He waved us off.

I gave Stiles a quick peck on the cheek, before grabbing Derek's hand, and walking out the front door. "You know, you didn't have to do that."

"I know," Derek replied, opening the door to his car for me. "But he wouldn't have shut up and let us leave in peace if I didn't."

I laughed, throwing my head back, giving Derek the perfect opportunity to capture my lips with his. I returned the kiss and when he pulled away, I beamed at him. I slid into the seat, and Derek closed the door as I buckled up.

"So where are we gonna eat?" I inquired, turning to look at Derek as he started the car.

Derek gave me a glance before replying, "There's a little Italian place."

"Sounds good," I smiled. Derek tangled my left hand in his right quietly, and I leaned back in my seat.

The ride was quiet, but it wasn't like an awkward silence. It was more of a "bask in each other's presence quietly" silence that just made me feel  _good_.

Derek later pulled up to the front of a little Italian restaurant, and I stepped out of the car. He met me at the front of it and took my hand in his before entering the restaurant.

"Hi," the hostess greeted with a smile. "Welcome to Bellini's. How many?"

"Two," Derek supplied.

The hostess grabbed two menus and gestured, "Right this way." We followed her quietly and I looked around.

It was a nice, cozy restaurant that was bright and happy, most likely due to the sunshine shining through the windows brightly.

We were seated in a booth, and the hostess said, "Your waitress will be right over," before leaving.

I opened the menu, and blinked at my selections.  _Wow_. Could I just… have everything on this menu, please? I'm pretty sure I can finish most of it, and whatever's left over can be left to Scott, Stiles, and Isaac.

"Hi, there," a soft, bell-like voice purred in greeting. "My name's Isabel and I'll be your waitress today. Can I start you off with a drink?"

I glanced up to order, but immediately, a frown settled onto my face.

Our waitress was a tall, busty brunette woman – like me, but not like me, do you get what I mean? She was slightly tan (though I was getting slightly paler because I was out during the night more these days), with dark brown hair and light brown eyes, but I think her boobs were about two seconds away from popping open from her top. She stood at about 5'11 or so – pretty much the tall, busty version of me… and sexier.

… And she was eyeing Derek like he was something to eat.

Um,  _hello_. He's  _mine_  and only  **I**  get to eat from/on him.  _Mhm_. Derek for desert sounds absolutely appetizing…

Wait.

_Focus, Sindy._

There's a hoe hitting on your boyfriend.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat, making the woman turn to me. She smacked her lips, giving me a once over.

"Yes?" she inquired.

"I'd like a Coke," I ordered as sweetly as I could.

Kill her with kindness.

Then rip her to pieces.

Sounds like a good plan.

Derek sat across from me with a small, slight amused expression settled on his face. I scowled at him, hoping he could feel my irritation. We were connected through emotions, right?

He rolled his eyes as if I was ridiculous and ordered a Coke as well. The waitress, Isabel, smiled at Derek, the corner of her lips curling to reveal pearly white teeth.

Her eyes – surrounded by smoky make-up – fluttered before she took a glance at me and walked away.

"Something wrong?" Derek asked.

"She was hitting on you," I pouted, eyes narrowing at where Isabel was standing.

"Who?"

"Isabel."

Derek looked at me silently. "Who's Isabel?"

"The waitress that has another job as a  _Victoria's Secret_  model," I frowned. "Did you not see her?"

"I wasn't really paying attention," Derek admitted. "Can't decide what to choose?"

"How'd you know?" I cocked my head to the side, looking at him.

Derek smirked. "When you're stuck making a decision, a crease forms between your eyebrows and your pucker your lips to the side." Without even thinking about it, my hand flew to where the skin between my brows.

Suddenly, a drink was placed in front of me, and I looked up to see Isabel back, slowly placing a cup in front of Derek, all but shoving what were probably double Ds in front of him, but he kept his eyes trained on me.

I flushed at his intense stare and looked down at my menu. I vaguely heard Derek order a chicken parmigiana, and my eyes landed on the first thing I saw.

"I'll have the chicken fettuccine alfredo," I said, closing my menu.

Isabel turned to me and nodded, but looked at me up and down. "Are you sure you should be having that though, kid? It's got a lot of calories, and you might wanna watch a couple."

I blinked. "Are you calling me  _fat_?" I asked, my tone slightly incredulous.  _Oh_ , forget killing her with kindness. I'll just cut her up to bits right now. I have a knife… and claws.

"We're fine," Derek interrupted before anything could happen. Both Isabel and I turned to him. "I'd also like to have you out of my face because you're blocking my view of my date. And…" he drawled, "don't worry about her calorie count, because we'll be working it off later."

Isabel's jaw dropped and I immediately flushed. Derek turned to me and gave me a look. I felt something surge through me and looked down, knowing my eyes probably flashed to their sunset coloring.

"I – I'm sorry," Isabel apologized meekly. "I'll… I'll get right on your orders." She hastily said, gathering the menus clumsily before walking away quickly.

"Derek!" I hissed quietly.

Derek arched an eyebrow at me. "Are you actually  _complaining_  that I told her off? I did it as politely as I could."

I snorted. That was true. If it was anybody else (read: Scott or Stiles), he'd tell them to shove off and  _maybe_  violently force them away. "But did you have to  **imply**  we were going to… y'know?" I started off strongly, but ended up trailing off.

Derek's eyes sparkled with amusement. "' _Y'know_ '?" he echoed. "You mean how I'll take you and ravish every inch of your body?"

I groaned softly under my breath. It was inaudible to the human ear, but I knew Derek heard it, judging by his cocky smirk. "Someone's playful today," I mumbled, looking at him intensely.

"You bring out the best in me," Derek said honestly, reaching out to place a hand – palms up – on the table. I reached forward, and our hands connected. His thumb rubbed softly against the top of my hand, and I purred softly under my breath.

We sat there, basking in each other's presence, until Isabel came back with our lunches. This time, she just placed our plates down and walked away without another word, and I was highly thankful for that. Derek and I released each other's hands, and proceeded to eat.

"Oh my God," I moaned after placing a forkful of pasta into my mouth. I hummed in contentment at the creamy, delicious taste of the food. "This is  _so_  good."

When I received no response, I glanced up from my food, still chewing the last of my mouthful. "What?" I asked, suddenly so self-conscious.  _Why was he staring at me like that?_  "Your food's going to get cold."

The corner of Derek's lips twitched before he said, "You're just quite endearing sometimes," before taking some of his food into his mouth.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. What the hell was  _that_  supposed to mean?

I watched as Derek took a sip of his drink. I placed a piece of chicken into my mouth and chewed. I glanced around the restaurant and asked him, "Do you think it's a good idea keeping this from Scott and Stiles?"

"You're seriously asking this now?" Derek inquired.

"Well, with Peter and Isaac around, it's kind of hard to," I shrugged. "But I don't feel right keeping this from them, to be completely honest."

"But it's not their problem," Derek told me. "It's ours. Boyd and Erica are  _our_  responsibility. It's also safer for them. The less they get involved, the less likely it'll be for them to be attacked."

I bit my bottom lip. He had a point. It was one thing to keep them from something, but another to keep them from something for them to be  _safe_. I nodded mutely and we continued our meal – tension from our situation gone.

"Hey," I said, calling for Derek's attention. He arched a brow at me, chewing quietly. "I just realized I know nothing about you."

Derek looked at me strangely, making me quickly amend, "I meant as in the simple things: like your favorite color, what you like to eat, your favorite sport... Come to think of it, you don't know mine, either."

"Your favorite color is actually a tie between blue and green, you like eating bacon burgers and Italian food, and your favorite sport is cross country," Derek replied simply.

I huffed on the outside, but inwardly, I was pleased. He  _knew_  me without even me telling him. But then again, Derek always  **was**  an observational guy.

"My favorite color's black, but a light shade of brown's also not bad. I don't really care for what I eat. My favorite sport would be basketball, but baseball's not bad, either."

"Brown's such a weird color to like," I frowned. "But… it's earthy, and well, nature-like, so I  _guess_  it makes sense."

Derek gave me a small smile before finishing the rest of his meal. I finished my food off as well, and Isabel came back to gather our plates. "Can I interest you guys in any dessert?" she asked, looking from Derek to me.

I knew Derek wasn't one for sweet foods, but when he angled his head to look at me questioningly, I jumped up. "Can I have the vanilla pizookie?!" I inquired enthusiastically. Derek chuckled under his breath and Isabel looked taken aback before nodding slowly.

She walked off with our plates and I swung my legs happily under the table. Derek, feeling the movement, looked at me with a strange expression. "Are you  _that_  excited about a cookie and ice cream?"

I stopped mid-swing and looked at Derek, "It's a  _pizza cookie_  and  _ice cream_! There's a difference, Derek!"

"Right," he drawled. He suddenly sat up, and moved, pushing me lightly so he could join me on my side of the booth. I scooted over, allowing him to sit beside me.

I rested my head against his strong arm, and he sat there, letting me. He then shifted slightly, before I felt him kiss the top of my head. I angled myself and then beamed up at him. I leaned upwards, stretching my back and gave him a swift peck.

I turned my head as I heard footsteps, and saw Isabel sliding down my dessert in front of us. "Ooh!" I exclaimed happily, sitting up straight. "Yay!" I grabbed one of the spoons and cut part of the cookie and then the ice cream. The second the mix of cold and warm hit my tongue, I moaned happily. "Oh,  _God_ , that's good."

"Oh really?" Derek arched a brow, looking down at me with slight amusement.

"Mhm," I nodded. "Might almost be as good as sex with you." Both of Derek's eyebrows shot up at the comment. I gave him a closed-lip smile and continued feasting on the desert. "You sure you don't want any?"

Derek placed his hand around the wrist that was holding the spoon, making me turn to him, confused. He leaned down, capturing my lips with his. He didn't waste any time shoving his tongue in my mouth, and I moaned around him quietly as his tongue rubbed against my own, before exploring my cavern.

He pulled back and licked his lips once before saying, "You taste better… and much sweeter."

I felt my cheeks heat up and I pulled my wrist out of his grip before feeding myself another spoonful of sweetness. To be honest, I just wanted a reaction from him. Who knew Derek would do  _that_?

As I was finishing my desert, Derek signaled for Isabel to give him the check. I was finishing up the last of my food as Isabel came back with the receipt. Derek pulled out his wallet and paid in cash so we didn't have to wait, and he held me out of the booth.

The two of us walked back to his car, and I slid into the passenger seat. "Thank goodness for fast metabolism," I sighed out as Derek started the car. "If I didn't have any, I'd probably gain five pounds from that meal alone." Derek arched a brow at me, but didn't say anything else as he backed out of the parking spot. "So, where to next?"

"To the deep part of the woods where we'll be alone and no one can hear you scream," Derek replied so bluntly I was taken aback.

I sputtered incoherently as my boyfriend drove, and he threw me a smirk. I reached out, whacking his shoulder. "You  _jerk_!" I cursed at him. "Don't spring that on a girl all of a sudden!" Then I thought of something and said, "Y'know, that sentence could've been interpreted in two ways."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh," I nodded. "One way is what I'm pretty sure what you meant," I held up an index finger. Then I added a second finger as I continued, "The other way is you could be killing me, ripping me to pieces and you can hide my body without worry."

"How do you know it's not the second option?" Derek deadpanned.

I tossed a smile at Derek and reached forward, pinching his cheek. "Because you  _looove_  me~" I sang.

Derek's lips turned up, but he didn't respond after that.

Derek drove until he was just right outside the preservation, and shut off his engine. We piled out of the car, and before I could blink, he was right next to me.

Taking my hand in his, he and I walked deeper into the preservation.

Not a single word was spoken between us, the only sounds were small critters scurrying about, the wind flowing through the leaves, and our feet crunching softly over twigs.

My feet pulled at a couple dead leaves on the ground as I continued beside Derek. We reached the edge of the preservation, to the view that overlooked Beacon Hills.

"I've never really been here before dark," I mused quietly, looking over the town. "It looks… livelier."

"That makes sense, considering most people are awake at this time," Derek said a soft teasing tone in his voice. I frowned, realizing how dumb that sounded.

"I should probably think before I speak," I mumbled.

Derek chuckled softly, before pulling me down as he sat on a large boulder. He settled me on his lap, and it didn't escape my notice that his eyes darted down to where my skirt rode up slightly as I straddled his thighs.

"Do you  _really_  think I'm the type of girl to sleep on the first date?" I teased. I traced a pattern on his shirt with my finger, looking up at him through my lashes. "And in the  _woods_  at that?"

Derek smiled gently, placing his hands on either sides of my cheeks. He captured my lips, biting softly on my bottom lip before pulling back slowly. His eyes met mine and he said, "I think you're remarkable and definitely a special, unique one."

I beamed up at him and replied, "Thank you for remarking on it." Derek chuckled softly before pulling me flush against him. "But that still doesn't make it right for a couple to sleep together on the first date~" I sang.

"We aren't like any other couple," Derek said softly. "We're mates. True Mates."

My eyes softened, and my smile softened to a gentle, light one – reflecting on how my heart felt. My eyes fluttered shut gently, and I threw my arms around Derek to kiss him with as much passion as I could muster.

I pressed myself against him, wanting to get as close to him as possible, and when I felt my nipples hardened, I moaned softly into his kiss, moving my chest up and down for some friction.

"Don't think I didn't notice," Derek said against my lips. "My naughty little squirrel." I moaned at his term of endearment and pulled back.

I bit down on the corner of my lower lip, the other side turning up mischievously. I kept eye contact with him, as I removed my thin cardigan from my shoulders. I threw it to the ground, and then grabbed my white shirt, pulling it off my body slowly.

A low growl escaped from Derek's throat, and my body instinctively shivered in anticipation. When the shirt dropped, Derek dived for my bare breasts, and a louder moan escaped my lips as I threw my head back while he feasted on my hard nipples.

His right hand trailed up my smooth thigh, before going in-between my legs. "I could smell it the second you walked down, Sindy," Derek growled against my breasts, and I arched my back when his fingers brushed against my damp folds beneath my skirt.

" _Oh_ , Derek!" I cried out, placing my hands on the back of his head to keep him there.

"You're so wet, Sindy," Derek snarled gently, and I could hear the soft  _squish_  as he dipped a finger inside me. I sighed softly as my walls tightened around his digit. "And so responsive." He lifted his head and purred against my mark gently. "My mate…"

"Your mate," I echoed out breathlessly.

"If only I could see it," Derek said, exhaling his hot breath against my marked skin, making me shiver softly above him. "Will you let me see it?"

I exhaled softly, my voice quaking. " _Yes…"_  I sighed out almost inaudibly.

In a flash, Derek picked me up gently before setting me down on my feet. He hooked his fingers around the hem of my skirt, stretched it, and dragged it down. The material pooled at my feet and I stepped out of it, before he led me onto the large boulder.

I sat down on the cold, hard stone, and scooted back slightly. "Prop your legs up, my little squirrel," he instructed. I nodded and did as he asked, placing my heels on the edge of the rock.

He knelt down between my open legs, and my mouth gaped slightly as I felt his thumbs take the side of my wet lips, and spread them open.

My pussy twitched against the cool spring air, and a flush of embarrassment flowed through me, warming my cheeks and chest.

However, it was quickly subdued, when I saw the look of lust and amazement that was etched over Derek's face. "There's my beautiful mate…" he said softly, his index fingers brushing through my rough, dark curls as his eyes flashing a bright red before fading to verdant.

I smiled softly as he rubbed his thumbs up and down the side of my labia. The facial expression soon changed, however, when he leaned in, licking up my slit in one firm motion, ending on my clit, before kissing my entire opening.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I threw it back, and I groaned loudly. Liquid dripped out of me, down my perineum, as he continued to lap at my juices. I took in deep, heavy breaths, digging my hair into his dark locks as my toes curled inside my shoes.

His beard scratched against the inside of my thighs whenever I threatened to close them, and it felt  _amazing_. A loud moan fell from my lips when he dug his tongue inside of me, and I whimpered as I felt him take a deep breath as he buried his face between my legs.

He pulled back briefly and continued to massage my lips. I dared to look up at him, and moaned at the sight. His lips and chin were glistening wet with my juices, which he took care of quickly as his pink tongue darted out, taking the liquid that was there.

I cried out when he suddenly inserted two fingers inside of me, and my back arched, chest thrown out at him. "My sweet little squirrel," he purred seductively from above me. He chuckled softly. "Quite literally. I could eat you up all day," he said, his fingers moving at a sensual rhythm inside of me.

A squeak fell from my lips as his middle and ring finger curled inside me, his index finger running along one of my lips, rubbing against the wet curls that rested there.

"Even squeaks like one, too."

I blushed against my will, feeling the heat rise in my body. Derek chuckled softly, before leaning down, capturing a breast into his lips, his fingers suddenly increasing in speed.

A loud cry slipped from my lips and unconsciously, I bucked my hips into his hand. "That's it, Sindy," Derek encouraging, releasing my wet nipple from his mouth. "Move against my fingers. Fuck them like you would my cock."

My heart pounded against my chest at his words, and my hips began to buck even faster. Feeling me begin to spasm from under him, he pulled his head back and pressed his free hand down on my right breast in order to keep me under control.

It was getting too much.

His fingers. His touch. Everything.

I moved my hand down to pull his wrist away from me, but he growled warningly. "Oh  _God_ , Derek!" I cried out, my head thrown back once again. "I – I – I –" I stuttered out, unable to form any more coherent words.

"Cum, Sindy," Derek growled from above me, his deep, Alpha voice sending shivers down my spine. "Let. Me. See. You." He curled his fingers, pressing into my g-spot with force with every word. " _Cum_!" he finished his sentence, pressing hard against my spongy spot.

When he didn't pull back, I screamed loudly, and I could hear the birds take flight and animals flee at the sound of my scream/roar and I came around his fingers. He resumed his movement, and I could feel wetness slip out of me, splashing around as he let me ride out my orgasm from underneath him.

My peak was reached, and Derek removed his fingers as I fell limp against the rock. I took in deep, heavy breaths, my chest moving up and down as I tried to settle my breathing.

"Who said you could put your legs down?" Derek's rough, lust-filled voice broke me away from my daze. I turned my head slightly to see Derek had stripped himself of his clothing.

He stood tall, casting a dark shadow over me as the sun set behind him. He looked so beautiful, with his focused, dark green eyes, strong, angular jaw, chiseled chest, the dark trail of hair that led to his sexy  _V_ , emphasized more by the mass of black curls that rested at the base of his hard, pink cock, to his large, heavy sack that was between his legs, and down his muscular, tan thighs that was covered in dark hair.

I licked my lips and summoned the strength to lift my legs, spreading them wide as I slipped my arms under my knees to support them. "No one," I purred back in what I hoped was a seductive tone. I batted my eyelashes before saying, "I was just saving the wetness so it wouldn't dry because of the wind."

"Somehow, I doubt that's possible," Derek responded simply, eyes trailing down my body, from my half-lidded eyes, revealing my soft brown orbs, my slightly open mouth as I took in deep, heavy breaths, my round, perky breasts with erect, rose-colored nipples, my toned, soft stomach, to the dark curls that rested at the top of my mound and surrounded my pink, wet lips, and to my toned, slightly tan arms and legs.

He stepped forward, his erection bobbing slightly, before grabbing my ankles and hoisting them over his strong shoulders. I squealed when he lifted me and placed me closer to him, careful to not hurt my back against the boulder.

"You feel this?" he asked, guiding his cock to rub against my wet lips. I moaned in response when I felt his tip hit my clit, brushing against it every time he gently moved his hips. "You're  _soaking_ , Sindy. There's absolutely no  _way_  you can dry out that easily."

I bit my lower lip and now that my arms were free, I used my right hand to trace my plump bottom lip slowly. I grinned up at Derek before purring out, "How about making me wetter, then?"

Derek's eyes flashed a dangerous red, before he guided himself to my entrance. In one swift, powerful push, he was inside me and buried to the hilt.

I groaned loudly at his rough entrance, feeling his warm, throbbing balls against my butt. I attempted to steady my breathing, but it proved to be futile, as the second I attempted to breathe, he pulled out and pushed right back into me.

My hips unconsciously swiveled on their own, and I moaned, throwing my head back. His right hand went under my head and supported my nape, before he leaned down to kiss me, thrusting in and out of me.

I thanked the heavens for the flexibility I possessed as Derek continued to move in and out of me. His tongue slipped through my lips, and mimicked the movements his cock was making with my lower lips. Every now and them, I would suck on the tip of his tongue, copying the way I would clench around him.

Two could play the mimicking game.

Derek groaned into my mouth, and I happily swallowed the sound. I moved my arms so they went around my legs, and then grabbed the back of Derek's head, pulling him down to kiss me even deeper.

I was incredibly thankful that we were able to hold our breaths for a long time, because I wasn't going to let Derek let me go just yet. My big toes rubbed against my forearm every now and then, which was weird, but with the sensations that were currently going through my body? I quickly forgot about the weirdness and focused on the pleasure.

My lungs burned and my head began to throb in a mix of pleasure and disparity, so I pulled back, and took in a deep of fresh air. Derek grabbed my arms, moving them back down to my side, before he lowered his mouth to my cheek.

He rubbed his cheek against mine gently, the beard scratching against my skin and we purred together as he continued to buck inside me. His tongue then extended out, licking at my sweaty skin, and I giggled softly at the ticklish sensation, and he pulled back to give me a smile.

He gave me a swift peck before trailing his kisses down my jawline, and then my neck. I knew what he wanted to do, so I angled my head to the right, revealing the entire left side for him.

Derek growled lowly in satisfaction at my submission, and I felt him throb inside of me before I moaned as he picked up his speed.

"D – Derek," I managed to stutter out. I whimpered when he hit my cervix, and my toes curled. "M – Mark me. Mark me as yours."

He nuzzled against where my mark lied hidden beneath my skin, and he growled out lowly, "With pleasure." He pulled his head back, and I watched as he closed his eyes and opened his mouth, his canines elongating. I felt my own do the same as his eyes snapped open, revealing a blood red.

I moved my head further to the right, exposing my neck to him. He growled lowly at the sign of submission, his inner Alpha taking over. He let out a roar, and bit down, tearing at my skin.

I cried loudly, and without warning, erupted around him. My body clenched around him tightly and I clawed at his arms to grip his forearms tightly. My whimpers were loud and desperate as Derek buried himself to the hilt inside of me as I throbbed around him. I attempted to move from under him, but he growled warningly, his canines still deep inside the side of my neck, right near my collarbone.

My whimpers died down slowly, but it soon transformed into a high-pitched whine as I felt Derek suddenly throbbing inside of me rhythmically, all the while increasing in size at the base.

**WARNING: KNOTTING BEGINS HERE**

He growled lowly, still deep inside of me as I gripped his arms tightly, my body shaking to accommodate his suddenly change in size.

Once I was adjusted to his size, he pulled his head back so he could grab my calves. He gently lowered them so the heels were against the boulder, and I whimpered softly, feeling overly-sensitive as the change in position made me tighten around him even more.

My eyes looked into Derek's blood red ones, before my pulse throbbed. My eyes immediately darted for the left side of his neck, and I could feel my own canines get longer, having subdued when he bit me.

As my vision got clearer, my blood pulsed as I opened my mouth, revealing my four sharp canines to him.

A low growl escaped from my throat and Derek looked down at me. His eyes flashed to a verdant green before shifting back to blood red, and he lowered his head towards me.

I growled again at him, and he silently moved his head to the side, revealing his long, slightly tan neck to me. I reached up, grabbing the back of his head, and brought him all the way down.

The second his neck was close enough, I let out a possessive growl, before biting down onto the side of it, and Derek flinched briefly before howling loudly above me. I growled in response, and felt him pulse inside of me.

I spread my legs, digging my heels into his toned butt to force him down on me. He pulsed inside of me, and I felt him spill inside me, and I growled lowly into his neck, swallowed the metallic blood to the rhythm of the throbs my pussy let out as it accepted every spurt and drop of him.

We lied there slowly, growling together, mine in dominance, his in submission. His hands moved to my breasts, cupping them, and I growled, my teeth still buried inside the side of him. This will teach women like Isabel who think they could take Derek away from me.

He. Was.  _ **Mine**_.

Sensing my Alpha growling, Derek whimpered gently above me, squeezing my mounds softly. I was in control now, and he knew it.

I pulled my fangs from out of him, and I said, "I want to be on top."

Derek easily accepted my dominance, and he picked me up, still buried inside of me. He lowered himself onto the boulder, and lied down. I sat above him, and flexed my fingers, my claws elongating. I gently ran them down his chiseled chest, and he shivered below me.

"How does it feel to be dominated, Derek?" I purred gently. "Feels great, doesn't it?" I continued, not bothering to wait for a reply. My nails grew blunt again, and I leaned down to lick at his sweaty chest. His chest rumbled beneath me, and I grinned. "I love it when you dominate me. The way you'll always bring me pleasure and… to be honest, I think I'm a natural submissive, don't you?"

"Yes," he struggled out from beneath me, and I could feel him pulsing inside of me.

" _Mhm_ ," I hummed gently. I leaned down and lapped at his hard, right nipple. "But I can also be dominant, too, can't I?" I asked, before biting down on his nipple.

He howled in pleasure and his hips bucked, causing me to bounce. I grinned at the sight and I could hear the birds flapping away in the distance. "You're scaring the birds, Derek~" I teased gently, before leaving a trail of saliva across his chest as I dragged my tongue to his other nipple.

I nipped at his other nipple, and since he anticipated it this time, he just let out a pleasured growl. I pulled back and grinned down at Derek. "I can see why you like my boobs so much," I said, cupping them in emphasis. "Feels great to bite and suckle them, doesn't it?" I asked, pinching my nipples softly.

Derek groaned from underneath me as I cupped my breasts, massaging them in circles before squeezing them in the palms of my hands. It felt a bit off, and I knew exactly what I was missing, but I had to be patient.

I could feel his throbbing increase as I continued to fondle with myself and I asked, "Do you like it when I play with my boobs?" I cocked my head to the side innocently, pinching the nipples, causing me to moan.

"Yes," Derek replied quietly, eyes trained on my chest.

I pursed my lips and dropped my hands, swiveling my hips gently. I moaned when he pressed against my inner muscles in the most delicious ways, and bucked my hips once more. "Personally, I like you playing with them," I said, fluttering my lashes.

I saw Derek's hands twitch from the corner of my eyes, and I knew as the one being dominated, I had to give him full permission to do anything. I swiveled my hips in gently circles and arched my back. "Go on, my mate," I encouraged softly with a purr through half-lidded eyes.

Derek's left hand went to my hips to steady me as I moved sensually above him. His large right hand went to the valley between my breasts, and it was so large that his pinkie was able to touch my left nipple while his thumb touched my right.

When he cupped my entire right breast, I moaned softly.  _There_  we go. Derek's large hands were a lot better than my smaller ones. He was able to cover the entire mound completely, whereas I couldn't.

Seeing as I was balanced, Derek's left hand trailed up my right side and his right hand went to my left breast, squeezing at the lonely mound while his left hand took my right breast.

I moaned softly above him, swiveling my hips as he hit everything inside of me. I particularly liked bucking my hips, as he was able to hit my throbbing spongy spot.

"I'm gonna cum…" I moaned from above him, thrust my breasts out for his full disposal. He sat up from underneath me, and I began to buck my hips even faster as he latched his mouth onto a breast. "That's it," I encouraged. "Suck me," I ordered, and he breathed in. There was a small pull at my breast and he was doing just as I ordered. "You're a great submissive, too," I purred, and he growled beneath me and his hips circled once, making me moan in pleasure.

"Someone likes being dominant," I groaned, rubbing my mound against his pelvis, our dark curls mixing together as he hit my cervix deeply. "But I'm the dominant Alpha now," I growled out, my voice dropping an octave.

A surge of power filled me as I continued bucking my hips, and I moaned above him, feeling his throbbing increase by the second. "Kiss me, Derek," I breathed out. "Kiss me."

In a second, Derek detached his lips from my breast, and slammed them onto mine. The second our lips touched, his hand went down between us to where we were connected. His thumb found where my clit was, and as he thrust his tongue into my mouth, he pressed down on my clit roughly.

I screamed into his mouth and he swallowed it all as I climaxed around him, pulsing and squeezing him tightly. I barely managed to pull my lips away from him and whimpered out quickly, "Cum Derek. Cum for me."

Never to disappoint, Derek's throbs continued to increase and I slammed my lips back down onto his as I felt him fill me deep inside, my walls milking every drop of his.

I whimpered softly as he pulsed inside of me, all the while decreasing in size slightly.

**KNOTTING ENDS HERE**

A small gasp escaped from my throat and Derek lied back down on the boulder, taking me with him. I breathed heavily against his chest, and I traced a lazy, random pattern on his chest.

Derek always gave orders, so I never realized how good he was at taking them. I purred gently, burying my face into his chest, before I realized something.

"What's on your mind?" Derek asked, feeling my change in demeanor.

"I'm in a bit of trouble," I said.

"What's that?" Derek inquired, as he rubbed my arm slowly.

"I'll show you," I replied, before sitting so I was crouched. As I did so, Derek's cock slipped out of me, and I could feel some of his seed drip out of me, plopping onto him, the stone, and his balls. "I didn't bring underwear."

"If you need cleaning up, I could do it," Derek volunteered like it was no big deal. I blinked in disbelief. "What?" he asked, seeing my puzzled expression.

"I dunno," I replied honestly. "Don't guys find it weird to er… taste their own sperm?"

"To be honest, I wouldn't willingly do it," he replied. "But granted, most of it's dripped out by now," he said pointedly, and I chanced to look down. Derek's cock had a bit (Ok, well, a bit for the load he had. It was still a lot) of his cum on it, and I was still dripping some of it out of me.

"I'm sensing a  _but_ ," I said.

"Sindy, I just said I could eat you out all day if I could," Derek rolled his eyes. Then he thought about it and edited, "Actually, if I thought  _you_  could handle it." I blushed slightly at his pointed look. "Just get up here."

I blushed softly, and got down onto my knees. I moved so I was able to straddle his face. As he moved to grab my hips, I suddenly pulled away.

"What?" Derek asked impatiently.

"This is so…" I blushed, my face growing bright red.

Derek quirked an eyebrow at me and said, "Sindy… we just spent the last hour or so having sex in the woods. A little oral would never hurt anyone with what we've been doing."

"That's just you being a guy," I mumbled. I got onto my feet and turned so my back was to him. Derek sighed heavily and pulled at my hips making so I was hovered above his lips.

"It probably is," he admitted. "But… do you see how dirty you are down here?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. "My seed mixed with your juices…" He stuck two fingers inside of me and I moaned at the feeling, instinctively tightening around him as I heard the soft  _squish_  of my juices. "Still so beautiful though…" he said quietly, before his fingers slipped out of me. I heard some soft movement behind me, and I could only guess that he had dipped his fingers inside his mouth, because he said, "And delicious," before pulling my hips down so I could sit on his face.

When my lower lips met his lips, I cried out, falling forward in pleasure as he attacked me mercilessly, lapping and nipping at my folds. I struggled to push myself onto my hands, and when I opened my eyes, I was face to… uh… head with his erected self.

 _Well,_ _**hello** _ _there to you, too._

As Derek cleaned me, I realized that he probably needed some cleaning, too. After all, there was  _no way_  it'd be comfortable to tuck himself back in after being soaked in juices, right? Plus, I had dripped all over him, too.

I stuck my tongue out, and licked from base to tip of the top of his erection, and he moaned from underneath me, sending delicious vibrations through me.  _Approved_ , then.

I moved myself so I was able to cup his balls, and I held them up briefly so I could lick them clean, while my left hand fisted around Derek's cock, pumping him. As usual, my fingers didn't circle all the way around him, but he wasn't complaining, and neither was I.

Once his sack was spotless, I took him deep into my throat, and swirled my tongue around him as I breathed through my nose. I pulled back and continued the action, until any sticky residue was completely clean.

I pumped him gently while my tongue circled his slit, taking every drop of pre cum that was beaded at the top. I moaned around him when Derek pushed his tongue between my folds.

His tongue mimicked his cock's earlier actions inside of me and I suckled Derek gently. As I was still sensitive from our earlier activities, it wasn't taking long for me to reach my peak.

I sped up my movements, hoping for Derek to release inside my mouth, just as I was about to do in his. Derek, feeling me get closer and closer, pulled his tongue out, and began to lap at my clit mercilessly.

I released him and cried out in pleasure, as I felt myself tightening. I felt my nails dig into the boulder as I fisted my hands together tightly, and I screamed loudly as I hit my orgasm.

I collapsed next to Derek's still erect member, and weakly grabbed at the base, taking him back into my mouth. He groaned quietly, kissing my lips as they throbbed in pleasure while I lazily suckled him.

Derek's pulsing increased by the second, and I squeezed his base tightly in my hands as best as I could (since I was pretty much a limp noodle by now), and felt him explode down my throat as his cry was muffled by my lower lips.

I lapped at it all completely, tongue flicking at the tip, and I rested my leg on his thigh, still sucking his now-limp member. If he was still going to kiss my folds, I wasn't going to release him from my mouth. That, and I was too lazy to. I pulled back briefly to breathe and swallow my built-up saliva before placing the tip inside me again.

Derek pushed at my butt gently and he said, "You know, as much as I enjoy this position, we should probably leave."

" _Bomm wamma,_ " I said, voice muffled.

"What?" Derek asked, a tint of amusement falling from his tone.

I sighed heavily through my nose before pulling Derek out of my mouth. "I said I  _don't wanna_ ," I complained. "I can't feel my legs, my thighs, my head, my  _everything_. And don't even get me started on down there!" I didn't want to move. Let me just lie here forever, please.

Derek chuckled softly, before he said, "Well, my precious mate, aren't you hungry?" As if on cue, my stomach growled loudly. I blushed. Derek chuckled again. The jerk.

He sat up, and I fell limply into his lap. I snuggled against his bare skin before rolling over so I was lying on his thighs. He rolled his eyes and scooped me up easily. He placed me on the boulder, and I watched as he dressed himself.

"Are you going to dress yourself or am I going to have to do it for you?" Derek asked. I smiled at him and raised my arms. Derek sighed before putting on my shirt and throwing on my cardigan. He lifted me up and slipped my skirt on me, before I leaned against him.

"Can you carry me?" I asked. "I like it when you carry me."

Derek looked down at me affectionately, before picking me up bridal style. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and I snuggled into his chest. The walk back was silent, and he even put the seat belt on me before going into the driver's side of the Camaro.

Seeing as how he wasn't going to get me to move for a couple hours, he was smart enough to just us each a bacon cheeseburger, curly fries, and a large Coke.

He drove us back to where we had been for most of the mid-afternoon and early night, and we watched the lights of Beacon Hills twinkle at us as we ate in his car.

After that, he looked at the dashboard, and realized it was eleven. I pouted, arguing that we still had two hours before my "curfew" (since when the hell did I have a curfew?) was up, but he insisted on driving me back because he knew my dad would be home.

He parked right on the driveway of my house, and helped me out of the car. Derek walked me to the front of the house, and I turned to him, beaming up at him.

"I had a lot of fun," I said.

"Oh yeah?" Derek quirked a brow. "Seeing as you were nothing but a lazy mess the last couple hours, I would've thought otherwise."

I punched Derek's arm lightly and said, "That's your fault, you jerk!"

Derek leaned down to kiss me, and our lips had just briefly touched when the front door suddenly swung open. Derek pulled away from me, and I turned to see who had interrupted us.

"Dad!" I complained.

My father looked at me with a raised eyebrow before turning to Derek. "Derek," he acknowledged.

"Sheriff," Derek nodded politely.

It was tense for about a minute, but the  _second_ , I opened my mouth to say something, Dad said, "I'm off on Sunday in a couple months. How about you come over for Sunday dinner?"

My jaw dropped.

"In a couple months?" Derek asked, dark brows rising.

Dad nodded. "I rarely get any days off. Unless you want a dinner any time else, but it'll have to be cut short, because I could probably only get away for an hour or so. Sindy makes a mean spaghetti."

"Oh, does she now?" Derek asked, turning to look at me. "She never told me." I moved to open my mouth, but was interrupted  _again_ , when Derek said, "That's fine. Just tell me what day exactly and I'll be sure to come."

Dad nodded approvingly before saying, "Well, thanks for having Sindy back early. You didn't have to. She doesn't have a curfew, since… well, you know how my kids are."

Derek nodded his head, understanding (whatever the hell  _that_  meant) Dad. "Stiles said to have her home by one," Derek replied. "But I'd figured it would've been better to have her home sooner."

I could see the slight approval in Dad's eyes before he patted Derek's shoulder. "Well, good to see you, Derek. Have a good night."

"Thanks, Sheriff," Derek nodded. He bent down, giving me a swift peck on the lips. "Good night, Sindy."

I blushed at the public display of affection around my dad. "'Night," I mumbled, cheeks reddening. I could feel the two males' confusion at my sudden shyness and I darted inside, up the stairs, and quickly to my bedroom window.

I heard the front door close before I saw Derek stop with one foot inside the Camaro. He looked directly at me in the darkness, gave me a smile, before climbing in his car. He drove off, and I stood there until I couldn't hear the Camaro's engine any longer.

The lights in my room suddenly turned on, and Stiles walked inside, carrying my vase of flowers. I blinked as I saw Stiles look at me before going, "Have fun?"

I smiled. "I did, actually," I responded.

"Cool," Stiles nodded. "So anyways, I did some research on the flowers Derek got you."

I blinked. "What?"

"I had to make sure they didn't mean like  _I'll kill you_  or something," Stiles replied, placing the vase on my desk. I gave him a pointed look. " _Okay_. I just wanted to know what they meant, and Sindy, do you know what flowers they are?" He pointed at the colorful flowers.

"… No?" I responded. Where was my brother going with this?

Stiles sighed heavily before saying, "They're stock flowers, Sindy. And you know what they are?"

"No."

My brother sighed before running out of my room. I looked on in confusion and he came running back with his laptop, before showing me a bunch of pictures of brides with white flowers. "Sindy, white stock flowers are used in bouquets for  _brides_."

I blinked, looking at the images. With my eyesight, I could pick out the little bouquets and see the white flowers that were in them deeply resembled the white ones I had.

"What are you trying to say, Stiles?"

"You know what stock flowers also stand for?" Stiles asked, turning the screen so he can scroll through it. " _Stock symbolizes 'lasting beauty' and 'a happy life.' It is indicative of 'bonds of affection.'_ "

A small smile flittered onto my face, and Stiles groaned, mumbling about "lovesick werewolves."

I arched a brow at my brother and I asked, "And your conclusion is?"

"… Derek's a good guy for you," Stiles reluctantly admitted, shutting his laptop close. "He still scares me, though."

I giggled softly and patted my brother's shoulder affectionately. "And I'm sure Derek's happy about that."

"I don't think that sourwolf can ever be happy around me unless you're there."

"Stop insulting my boyfriend. If you didn't do it so much,  _maybe_  he'd like you more."


	43. Red Riding Hood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anal fingering and anal sex warning. 99% smut this chapter.

**FRIDAY  
** **JULY 15, 2011**

Now, I understood the importance of finding our pack members, but my mate was running himself completely  **ragged**  trying to find Boyd and Erica. He was currently pacing back and forth, waiting for Peter and Isaac to return from the lead he had found earlier. Now, normally, that'd be fine by me, but… Peter and Isaac just left ten minutes ago.

"Derek," I complained from where I sat. "Just sit down. They  _just_  left. They won't be back for another couple of days."

"Why isn't the Alpha Pack doing anything?" Derek questioned himself, opening a book, ignoring my comment.

I sighed heavily, and glanced up at the ceiling.

Never had I felt so neglected by my own boyfriend. I understood the importance of this – after all, I was gone for two days (which Stiles had to cover for me) to search for Boyd and Erica a couple days ago, and was severely disappointed when I came back with nothing.

I got up from my seat, leaving Derek in his research. I had some clothes hidden here for some fun times with Derek, and to be honest, there  _was_  a better time for this, but Derek needed to  **relax** , and dammit, was I going to let him.

I strode out of the room, the heels of my boots clicking against the cement floor. I went over to the shelf Derek had reserved for me, and pulled out a bag. I peered into it, and was pleased that no one had touched it. I went up to the restroom, and began to change, leaving Derek on the main floor, researching.

I looked into the mirror as I quickly stripped, including my underwear, and glanced at my reflection briefly. I shrugged before throwing my underwear to the side and pulling out hair ties.

Separating my hair into two, I made low pigtails and draped them over my shoulders. "Too much?" I mumbled to myself, looking at my reflection. After a few seconds of indecisiveness, I decided to just leave it. Maybe I could add my  _own_  little mix of Red Riding Hood.

I giggled softly to myself as I threw on the white, tight shirt. Oh man, it was a good thing I decided to go braless. Though, my legs weren't safe since I was going panty-less, too.

I could already feel myself getting wet as I anticipated what was to come…  _literally_. Throwing on the poofy red skirt, I was glad the inside was a smooth material and not the ruffly, scratchy that the outside was.  _That'd_  be a major turn-off.

Sitting down on the toilet, I reached into the bag, pulling out a pair of white stockings. They rolled up to my mid-thigh, and I slipped on my shiny red heels with black bows.

Peering into the bag, I spotted the black, strappy corset and pulled it out. I looked at it for a while, trying to figure out just  _how_  to put it on. I furrowed my brows in confusion, and decided to just throw it on like a shirt over my clothes.

I pulled the corset down, and my eyes widened at my reflection. Holy  _shit_ , my boobs looked fantastic. They were spilled out of the corset (like the way they were supposed to), and the corset acted as a support for the bottom and sides of my breasts, keeping them together – all firm and perky.

Unable to resist, I gave my breasts an experimental squeeze. A soft moan escaped from my lips and I watched as my nipples pebbled through the thin white shirt I wore.  _Yup_. Definitely perky.

 _Focus_ , Sindy.

I finished the ensemble off with the red hooded cape, and looked at myself in the mirror.

… Something was missing…

"Ah!" I exclaimed, realizing what it was. I tugged at the sleeves of the white shirt I wore, making sure they fell down my arms. There.

After making sure I looked alright – and  _damn_ , I sure did, in my opinion – I stepped out of the bathroom. My heels clicked against the stairs as I walked, clanging against the metal.

My eyes immediately sought out Derek, and I frowned.

He hadn't even noticed I'd left and come back.

I understood how important finding both Boyd and Erica were, I really did. They were  _my_  friends, too, but… it wouldn't do us any good if we were running ourselves ragged and then we'd be  **much**  too tired to fight the Alphas.

What Derek and I was a little R&R, and I had just the idea. I licked my lips and sauntered over to Derek. He didn't even flinch when I placed my hands on his shoulder, and I started to move them sensually against him.

I licked my lips, mustering all the courage I had and bent down, purring into his ear, "Mr. Wolf, I'm in need of some help. I've been trying to find my way to my grandmother's, but I seem to have lost my way."

I felt the air shift and confusion flood all over Derek's face. He glanced up from his reading and started to ask, "What the hell are you ta–" he abruptly cut himself off when he fully turned to face me. "Si – Sindy," he said slowly, and I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed as his eyes took me in. "What are you doing?"

I looked at Derek in feign confusion. "I told you, Mr. Wolf. I'm looking for my grandma's, but I lost my way. I'm also getting  _incredibly_  hungry, too. I've been wandering out for  _hours_. Do you have anything to eat?" I fluttered my lashes, giving Derek the best innocent look I could muster.

Glancing down Derek's body, his bulge definitely did  _not_  escape my knowledge. "Something in your pocket?" I supplied for him, cocking my head to the side, making my pigtails move with me. "I can get it."

I bent down onto my knees, and moved towards his pants. He grasped my wrists and I glanced up at him, hoping he'd let me continue. "Not the pocket," he muttered, eyes a dark green. "The zipper."

I beamed brightly and chirped out, "Alright, Mr. Wolf! But, oh,  _my_ , what big hands you have."

"The better to touch you with, my dear," he rumbled in response. Oh  _good_. He was playing along.

I dragged popped open the button of Derek's jeans, and then took the zipper, sliding it down. The teeth opened up slowly, and I tugged at the denim. The bulge in Derek's pants didn't escape my notice, and I licked my lips in anticipation as Derek's jeans pooled at his feet.

He kicked them off easily, discarding his shoes and socks with them, and I tugged at his boxer briefs. "Is it here, Mr. Wolf?" I asked innocently, stroking the bulge. "It's very big…"

"It's so you get full," Derek breathed out, a low moan escaping from his lips. " _God_ , Sindy," he groaned when I rubbed my blunt nails against him through the thin cotton.

"That's good," I said, nodding. I pulled down his boxer briefs, and his cock sprang forward. "Oh, I'll  _definitely_  get full from this!" I exclaimed in feign surprise, before gripping the base firmly. I lowered my mouth onto him, and we moaned together at the sensation – him from the pleasure of me engulfing him and I from taking him into my mouth.

I pushed my head down, taking as much as I could of him in my mouth, before hallowing my cheeks as I pulled away briefly. I flicked my tongue over his tip, taking in his bittersweet taste, before engulfing him again. I ran my tongue against the bottom of his length, and I adjusted myself so I could spread my legs a bit more. I pulled back, lapping at his tip, and looked up at him.

His verdant eyes met my caramel brown and I maintained eye contact with him as I suckled his tip gently. My left hand pumped his hard length, while my right hand played with his sack. I then pulled him out of my mouth and gave him one final lick, before pressing his cock up against his stomach. I kissed a trail down the underside of his length, before I took my right hand off of him.

I took his scrotum into my mouth, and began to suckle. I widened my mouth and sucked deeply, taking the sacks into my mouth. Derek moaned above me, his hands tangling themselves into my hair. I moaned softly around him as he tugged it briefly, before he suddenly pulled me away.

"But I haven't had my fill yet," I whined, when Derek suddenly tugged me up. He arched a brow at me, and once he was sure I was steady on my feet, he released me. I watched as Derek reached for his shirt and pulled it off and I couldn't help but lick my lips.

"I'll fill you up," Derek said with conviction. He pulled me close to him so he could bend down easily to whisper in my ear, "In more ways than one." He roughly tugged my skirt down, causing the fabric to pool at my feet. I stepped out of it easily, and he grabbed my breasts roughly, squeezing them tightly, having me moan right against him. He took the neck of my shirt, and pulled it down.

My breasts fell out of the shirt easily, and he took them, groping them sensually, leaving no tissue left untouched. He pulled me close to him, and I pressed myself against him as his lips descended onto mine. I threw my arms over his neck and he continued to squeeze at my breasts as we made out, our tongues creating a little dance as our teeth created a beat for them when they clashed.

All too soon, he broke away, and I heard the sounds of faint clattering as Derek pushed down the books that were piled on the table, and I felt myself thrown against it. I caught myself easily, and felt Derek stand behind me. He pressed a hand on my lower back to keep me from moving, and I felt his tip rub against my wet folds gently, spreading my juices.

I moaned softly when his tip would brush light against my nub. He spread my natural lubrication easily, spreading it all over my lower lips and then up to where my little pucker was. I wanted him just  _inside_  me already!

"O –  _Oh_ ," I moaned beneath him. "What a big cock you have…"

" _There_ 's my little minx," Derek chuckled lowly, pressing the tip of him inside me, before pulling out. "And it's the better to fuck you with, my  _mate_ ," he growled out, before plunging inside me. I screamed beneath him, my blunt nails clawing onto the wooden table.

I clawed for a better grip as Derek easily set into a rough, fast pace inside of me, and I scrambled, trying to find  _something_  to hold onto. The table was too flat. I finally reached up, and secured my grip at the other edge of the table and held on tight as he thrust in and out of me quickly.

I panted beneath him, struggling to breathe, as I felt his rough hands rub against the curve of my ass. I gasped with his rough thrusts, and could feel myself clench around him tightly, easily climbing up my peak.

**ANAL FINGERING BEGINS HERE**

I could feel one of Derek's index fingers trail against my skin, before reaching for my little pucker just slightly above where he was thrusting. Lubricated by the juices he spread there earlier, he wiggled the tip in. He grunted above me, and suddenly pulled his tip from me. Just then his hand appeared next to my face, and he ordered, "Suck."

Opening my mouth wide, he slid three of his fingers inside my mouth, thrusting them in and out in time with his thrusts down below. Once his fingers were satisfyingly wet, he popped them out of my mouth, and I rested my cheek against the wood of the table, moaning softly beneath him.

I felt one of his fingers probe my second entrance, before sliding in easily, all the way to the knuckle. I cried out beneath Derek, my hips bucking as I knew what was coming later. "That's right," Derek groaned out. "Today, I'll be taking you  _completely_ , Sindy. Does that excite you?"

I could only moan lowly in response, and I felt his middle finger probe tickle the outside of my anal ring, before pushing the tip in. I remembered his orders to relax, and eased my body, and allowed him entry. " _Yessss_ ," I groaned out, the last letter of the word falling to a hiss. He timed it easily, so when he thrust in, his fingers would pull out, and when his cock would slide out, his fingers would push inside me.

I felt him press deep inside me, navigating, and I clenched around him tightly. I gasped for breath as he continued to work me twice, and I could feel my walls closing in around him. My gasps got sharper and higher, and soon, I came around him, screaming loudly.

He groaned and sped up his thrusts, and I could feel liquid escaping me every time he thrust in. When the pressure became too much, he pulled out of me, and I cried loudly, thrashing beneath him as I felt the liquid trail down my thighs while his fingers continued to work me.

I whimpered softly, feeling him pull his fingers out, before rubbing my sensitive lips. I shivered beneath him as he lubricated his fingers, before pushing back the two fingers in slowly. I gripped the table tightly, feeling a third finger probing me. I tensed out of reflex, but was immediately soothed by his calming, " _Shh_."

My shoulders relaxed slowly, and I felt myself become goo beneath him. "That's a good girl…" he purred softly, before pushing the tip in. I whimpered in slight pain at first, feeling myself stretching, but my healing factor kicked in easily, and it was quickly replaced by pleasure.

I moaned softly until the knuckle was all the way in.

He pulled out of me, and when he pushed his fingers back in, he pushed his cock right back into me. My eyes widened in shock and I screamed, feeling both of me squeeze around him tightly. I swiveled my hips in time with his thrusts, and I could feel it.

With the way he worked me twice as hard, as I couldn't help but moan underneath him as I climbed higher and higher, my body filling with ecstasy. My pussy clenched around him tightly, almost having a death grip on him, and he groaned loudly from behind me.

"Yes, Derek!" I cried out. "Yes! Yes!" I chanted as he sped up. I could feel him throbbing inside of me, and my moaned became stuttered groans as he pounded into me with such intensity.

He throbbed inside me powerfully and he shifted his hips, his fingers still working inside of me. I cried loudly beneath him, and Derek groaned, "Come with me, Sindy. Come with me."

"O – O – O –  _OH!_ " I screamed out, and screamed beneath him as I came around him, squeezing him tightly. My loud scream had blocked out his own groan of pleasure, and I felt him groan before releasing inside of me once – twice – three times.

He slid out of me, and I knew he wasn't done. I heard him work himself with his free hand, and I felt warm spurts of liquid hit my entrances twice more, before Derek sighed heavily. Derek pulled his fingers out of me, and I whimpered at the loss, before he moved me so I was lying on my back.

He teased my second entrance briefly, spreading the liquid that was there, before slowly easing in one, two, three of his fingers inside of me again. I moaned softly as he worked me down there, before bending down.

I moaned softly beneath him as he liquid at my sensitive pussy, and I shivered underneath his touch.

"Derek…" I whined softly, and he pulled away to look at me. He scanned me with his eyes quietly, and I reached for him like a baby wanting to be held.

He smiled softly at me, before leaning down, and our lips met. He knew exactly what I needed. I moaned softly into his kiss as he continued prepping me for him, and I reached down his body.

I squealed, grabbing onto his slowly hardening cock as he suddenly picked me up. My legs went around him instinctively and I moaned when I rubbed against him softly. His fingers didn't leave me, and he easily navigated us so we ended up on his bed – still kissing.

 _Mhm. Derek was such a fantastic multi-tasker,_  I thought as I pumped him slowly, feeling him harden in my hand.

I moaned into his mouth softly as our tongues rubbed against each other, and his left hand massaged my right breast sensually, sending pleasurable tingles throughout my entire body.

When I felt him fully hard in my hand, his hand moved from my breast to wrap around my wrist. I pulled away from him, looking at him curiously, and he gave me a small smile.

He pulled out his fingers, and dipped his fingers inside my pussy softly. As he curled his fingers inside of me, I moaned softly. He pulled his fingers out, having gathered a few juices, and lubricated my backdoor.

"Are you ready?" he asked patiently, looking down at me.

I glanced back up at him, seeing the patience and adoration in his eyes. I gave him a small smile and leaned up, giving him a deep kiss before lying back down.

He guided his entrance to my asshole, and the tip probed me gently. I moaned softly, and his left hand moved to rub my clit in small, rhythmic circles in order to distract me.

**ANAL SEX BEGINS HERE**

I relaxed beneath him, pleasure filling me as my nub was tickled and the tip of him slid into me. My eyes widened and my mouth opened into an  _O_ , and I felt him rub my clit some more.

I winced at the slight intrusion – he was  _much_  bigger than his fingers – but like with his third finger, my healing factor kicked in easily, as Derek continued to slide inside of me slowly, millimeter by millimeter.

He groaned as my muscles tightened around him, squeezing him, and he pushed slowly. I moaned softly at the fullness he gave me, and soon, he was settled inside of me, buried to the hilt.

He lied his body down on top of mine, and we breathed deeply together so we could get used to it. I needed to get used to his size, and he needed to get used to my tightness.

I exhaled deeply, and he pulled out of me slowly, before pushing inside of me slowly. He moved his arms and he grabbed my ankles, before pushing them up.

I moaned at the deepness I felt as he slowly sped up his thrusts, and I held my calves for him, spreading myself so he could thrust in and out of me easily.

Derek groaned from beneath me and he gripped the bed sheets beneath us firmly, bucking his hips as he thrust in and out of me.

Soft sighs fell from my lips as he continued to work me, and I squeezed my breasts, before pinching my hard nipples tightly. " _Derrrrrrekkkk_ ," I moaned out, and I opened my eyes.

I dared to look down at where we were connected, and I groaned loudly, tossing my head back when I saw the completely erotic sight. I moved my head again, and bit my bottom lip, groaning softly as I saw his strong hips thrust, his hard length disappear inside of me, before reappearing as he pulled back.

Derek leaned down, and captured my lips with his, and I gave into his kiss, nibbling at his lips as I tweaked my nipples while he worked between my spread legs.

I could feel both entrances tighten, and I moaned softly, wanting something to fill my pussy, but knew it wasn't going to happen. Derek's hands were preoccupied holding my legs and my hands were tweaking at my nipples while my arms held up my legs for him.

"You don't need it," Derek said huskily against my lips between kisses. "I'll make you cum just from this."

I shook my head. It was rare that women could orgasm without their g-spot or clit being hit, right?

He suddenly shifted his hips, and I high-pitched squeak fell from my lips as I felt him pound roughly against the wall, hitting me  _through_  the thin layer I had to hit my g-spot.

"Oh  _God_!" I groaned, throwing my head back, as Derek continued to thrust upward, hitting my pussy through my anus.

"There's my little squirrel squeak," Derek murmured, nuzzling into my neck. I moaned softly and moved my head, baring the side of my neck to him. I heard him growl lowly, and could fee l his canines sharpen as he was tempted to pierce my skin again.

"Do it, Derek," I encouraged. "Do it. Take me," I said. "Show everyone who I belong to," I purred into his ear before moaning lowly.

Derek sped up his thrusts, and I felt his teeth tickle my skin. I groaned beneath him, before he bit down, piercing my skin. I screamed beneath him, feeling myself tighten around him, squeezing him roughly as pleasure racked through my body.

I suddenly felt a splash of liquid and Derek pulled away, his lips and teeth stained with my blood. I glanced down to see what was going on and I groaned at the sight, seeing me squirt a powerful stream of clear liquid, hitting Derek's abdominals before falling onto my own flat stomach.

Derek bent down once again, and continued to thrust inside of me, piercing through my skin once again with his teeth, and I screamed lowly, thrashing wildly beneath him. He held me down with his upper body easily, continuing to thrust inside of me with his lower half.

I could feel myself releasing more liquid again, my juices making an absolute mess between us. I screamed as I hit my high, hitting my orgasm as he pulsed inside of me, speeding up his thrusts. My stuttered groans arose once again as he pounded into me.

He groaned loudly into my neck, before I felt him give one final thrust. I felt him twitch inside of me as he came once inside of me, before he pulled out.

**KNOTTING BEGINS HERE**

I saw him pull back his body from mine, his eyes burning a bright red as he thrust back inside of my pussy roughly, burying himself to the hilt. I reflexively bucked my hips, and I screamed as he filled me, stretching me gradually when he was fully seated inside me.

I breathed out heavily, my chest heaving as I felt Derek twitch inside of me, releasing his essence within me as warm waves filled my body.

Derek looked down at me, his eyes burning an intense red and when he opened his mouth, I could see his long canines protruding.

With his knot, his seed was locked inside of me, and I slowly released my legs. Both Derek and I moaned as I slowly changed my position, and I threw my arms up to my head from underneath him.

His blood red eyes ran over my body, and I watched in half-arousal, half-amazement as he leaned down, his body covering mine. He purred softly into my right ear, before taking the lobe and nipping it softly. I moaned softly beneath him, grabbing onto his strong biceps as his hands touched all over me.

I could hear the ripping of fabric, and Derek discarded the rest of my top to the side. I whimpered below him, and he swiveled his hips as he kissed his way down from my ear, past my cheek, to my lips.

" _Derek…"_  I sighed out breathlessly against his lips before he pulled back, licking my lips and teeth softly. Cracking open my eyes, I could see his eyes were still glowing bright, and I knew from his actions that his wolf had completely taken over.

I moaned softly beneath him as he continued to swivel his hips, hitting every inch inside of me, as he continued to throb inside of me. It was a slow, languid twist inside of me that filled me with the deepest of satisfactions.

A strange whining noise escaped my lips and without even thinking, I turned my head, presenting myself to him.

A deep growl rumbled in Derek's chest, before he moved from licking my lips to nuzzling and nipping at my chin before making his way down my neck. He ran his thick tongue against the left side of my neck, and a low moan escaped my lips.

I could feel myself tighten around him as he got closer and closer to my mark, and my hips involuntarily thrust upwards. Another whimper escaped from my lips before I heard a low growl and then a drop of wetness hit my skin.

Taking in deep breaths, I waited anxiously as I heard Derek bare his teeth against my skin, his hips swiveling more and more, his knot securely within me. My intakes soon became shaky, as I could feel myself get closer and closer to my orgasm.

With a rumbled roar, he bit down, and I howled loudly at the sudden pleasure that filled me, and my scream/howl echoed through the entire loft, bouncing off the walls as I came around Derek. He growled lowly above me and swiveled his hips, before he pulled back.

My eyes widened as he continued to twist his hips, before he let out a loud, animalistic roar that came deep from within him, and shivers ran down my spine as I felt him ejaculate inside of me.

I watched in astonished amazement as his roar softened to a low growl, as he continued to twitch and pulse inside of me, releasing warm spurts inside of me, hitting and coating my walls. His knot securely locked in his seed, keeping everything inside of me and I felt the warmth fill my insides.

" _My mate…"_  he growled, his voice distorted by his inner Alpha as his hands ran up the side of my body, before cupping my breasts.

"Your mate…" I echoed softly in agreement.

He continued to squeeze and play with my breasts softly, as we waited for the knot to fade away. I could still fill him twitching and throbbing inside of me, and I moaned softly, a pleasured purr escaping from my lips.

I could feel him loosening up around inside of me, and Derek grabbed his base, pulling out of me slowly. I groaned at the disappearance of the warmth and fullness I felt, and when Derek fully slipped out of me, I could feel his copious liquid seep out of me.

**IT'S SAFE NOW.**

Derek slid onto the sheets to my right, and I angled my head to him. "Your wolf took over," I said softly, reaching my left hand up to stroke the side of his face.

"It did," Derek nodded, grabbing my wrist before kissing the inside of it. "The goal of an animal is  _always_  to reproduce," he informed me. "What happened just now was my instincts taking over, telling me to impregnate you."

"But I'm on the shot from Deaton," I said softly. Derek placed my wrist down, before sitting up. He reached over to the nightstand, and pulled out a cloth from the inside, before taking out a water bottle.

Derek nodded mutely as he poured water onto the cloth, "It doesn't matter whether you are or you're not. It will  _always_  happen. Of course, you won't get pregnant, but should this ever happen again, just know that I will  **always**  cum inside there, and your body will  **always**  accept me."

I leaned forward, kissing Derek's lips softly. "Of course I'll always accept you," I murmured against his lips.

Derek touched my flat stomach briefly and he said quietly, "Someday – not any time soon – but someday, you'll be swollen with my pups, Sindy." I jumped at the feel of the cloth brushing against my lower lips, still overly sensitive, but Derek simply continued wiping my inner thighs and lips clean with the cloth.

"Pup _ **s**_?" I inquired teasingly, emphasizing on the plural  _s_. "What if I want just one?"

Derek chuckled softly before kissing me softly before making his way down my body. "You won't," he said simply, before lapping at my nipples. "It'll be in your nature to want a litter. That's between two to six pups."

"Two to six, huh?" I mumbled, running my hand through Derek's thick locks as he suckled on my right breast, while he cleaned me down below. "What if a couple end up like Stiles? He  _is_  my twin brother, after all. We share about 99% of the same DNA."

"Nature versus nurture, Sindy," Derek pulled his head back to reply before kissing me softly. He pulled back and said quietly, "Our pups will be perfect." I smiled softly, resting my hand on his chest as he put the washcloth away. I leaned up, and kissed him softly. They'll be perfect no matter what.


	44. Dinner with the Stilinskis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Knotting, Anal Finger, and Anal Sex warning.

**SUNDAY  
** **JULY 17, 2011**

"You know," I said, turning to Derek, "we  _could_  always just go have dinner by ourselves. Grab a burger or two, and then just… chill."

Derek arched a brow at me. "Shouldn't  _I_  be the one convincing you this is a bad idea?"

"This is all bad, all very, very bad," I groaned, throwing my head back in the seat. "Dad doesn't know a  _thing_  about werewolves or kanimas or hunters, and there's  **Stiles**. You  _know_  my brother isn't going to stop with his snide remarks."

"I'm well aware," Derek said. "But I think I can handle him."

"I still don't like this," I mumbled, climbing out of my car.

"You might've expressed that concern multiple times in the past hour," Derek responded, closing the door of the passenger seat of my car.

I frowned, suddenly realizing how whiny I was being. "That bad?" I asked, grabbing a cart.

"Not really," Derek replied, wrapping an arm around my waist as I pushed the cart into the supermarket. "It's cute."

I angled my head at my boyfriend to look at him before focusing on the walkway before me. " _Cute_?" I echoed, grabbing four Reese's packs for Stiles, placing it on the seat of the cart. They were two for a dollar, so I might as well.

"Werewolves don't get food allergies, do they?" I inquired when I saw a pack of peanuts.

Derek arched a brow at me, confused. "They shouldn't. Is there something you need to tell me?"

"I don't have any food allergies, if that's what you're thinking," I responded, taking the peanuts so I could enjoy them. "Neither do my dad nor Stiles. It was just a question out of curiosity."

"Werewolves have high immune systems that prevent them from having simple infections and diseases and sicknesses – as you already know," Derek pointed out. I nodded mutely, remembering Gerard, who wanted to become a werewolf to cure his cancer. "The saliva also has healing factors, as well. Especially yours."

I glanced up from the tomato I picked up and turned to look at Derek. "What do you mean?"

"You're the Alpha Female," he said simply. I nodded, already knowing that. "Your job, basically, is to watch and care for the pack while I, as the Alpha Male, mark our territory and defend it."

I blinked in amazement. "Wow. Being a werewolf is  _literally_  like being a wolf sometimes."

Derek nodded. "Werewolves rely heavily on their animalistic tendencies. Their instincts. I've told you that your surroundings will be your greatest allies. While creatures such as vampires and witches rely on their wit and cunning, werewolves and other animal-like creatures rely on their senses and gut. But the thing is, we have to  _control_  our instincts and use them, not let them use us."

"So I have super-cool healing powers in my tongue?" I asked, before sticking it out. I looked at the wet, pink appendage and Derek leaned down, nipping the tip softly. I pulled it back into my mouth and blushed at the display of affection.

"Yes, but always remember too much of a good thing is bad," Derek advised. "Why do you think we have cats and dogs in Elizabethan collars? While your saliva is fine, your tongue can irritate the wound, so avoid licking them  _too_  much. Though, let's hope you never have to come to that."

I nodded in agreement. Werewolves – especially Derek and I as Alphas – healed right away. He was basically telling me to only use it as a last resort so wounds can heal normally (and safely).

I went back to selecting tomatoes, and once I found enough, I placed them into the cart. We walked in silence together, but there was something I couldn't help but notice something.

When I reached up to grab some pasta noodles, Derek took advantage of my stretched-out neck, leaning in and nuzzling it.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you're quite affectionate today," I said, moving my head to the side to allow Derek to rub his nose against the length of my neck.

He hummed quietly before pulling back and kissing my cheek briefly. "Your scent…" Derek said quietly, eyes flashing red. "It's intoxicating."

I furrowed my brows. "I haven't changed my shampoo or anything…" I said quietly. I lifted my arm and smelled.  _Nope_. Nothing out of the ordinary (thankfully).

"That's not what I'm talking about," Derek said, before resting his chin on my head as I grabbed the tomato paste underneath the noodles on the shelves. "Your scent is changing."

"But I thought I smelled like you?" I leaned my head back to look up at Derek's chin. And what a nice chin it was, complimented by the strong, angular jaw line he had.

"To others, yes," Derek nodded. "But to me, you smell exquisite. Even more so than usual…" He pulled back, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion as he looked at me up and down.

"O… kay…" I nodded, a bit confused, placing the items into the cart. Good thing I had already grinded the meat at home. It was just waiting in the sink to be thrown in the sauce. "I don't really get it, but I'm glad I smell great to you?"

"You're reaching maturity faster than I thought," Derek said cryptically, walking alongside me as I headed to the checkout lines.

"Maturity?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Female wolves take eight months," Derek informed me. "Males take about a year if they're past fifteen."

"I don't really get what you're saying," I furrowed my brows.

"Despite the fact that we aren't having pups any time soon, your body is ready for them," he said pointedly. "You're reaching sexual maturity much sooner than other females." He had a thoughtful look on his face before he said, "It must be because of either a couple days ago, or the fact that you're my True Mate."

I blushed, remembering my dress-up day last Friday. While I  _thoroughly_  enjoyed it, I was a big pile of goo the rest of the day and ended up sleeping over at Derek's because I was too tired to move.

Thinking about it now, though, it was a  _highly_  daring thing for me to do.

Then I furrowed my brows as a thought processed through my head. "Why is my body speeding up the process to have pups?" I placed a hand on my flat stomach, looking down at it. "I still need to finish school and be settled down and what not."

"As I've said before," Derek said, snaking his arms around my waist. "We're driven by instincts. It's in our blood. And an animal's instinct is to grow up, reproduce, and raise their young. But it's fine," he said, nuzzling my cheek. "As long as you keep going to Deaton, you'll be fine. Plus, you're not in your cycle yet."

"Do you have a book on all this?" I sighed heavily, realizing there was a  **lot**  more I needed to learn about being a female werewolf. "What the crap is a cycle?"

"Your estrous cycle," Derek told me simply. "It's basically when you fall into heat. It occurs twice a year and lasts from one to four weeks. It's when you're most fertile."

"Oh  _God_ ," I groaned, placing my palm over my face. "Can we get through dinner with my father and brother first before we have more of this reproduction talk?"

Derek smirked at my flushed face, and simply took the cart, pushing it to the line. He placed the items on the belt silently and I stood quietly as the young girl looked up briefly. I heard her heart skip a beat and her pulse begin to race as she took in Derek's appearance, a small gasp escaping from her lips.

I growled warningly and stepped up next to Derek after pushing the cart all the way.  _He was_ _ **mine**_ _._  When the girl noticed me, she quickly blushed and looked down, scanning my purchases.

Derek began to pull out his wallet, and my hand shot out, catching his wrist. He turned to me, confused, as I frowned up at him. "What?"

"These are my purchases," I said.

"That's meant for me as well," Derek quirked an eyebrow.

I pointed at the Reese's candy. "That's Stiles's. My brother's."

"He can pay me back," Derek responded simply. My frown got deeper, and I watched as Derek's eyes fall to my lips.

I resisted the urge to grin and jutted out my bottom lip, forming a pout and I hoped to God my pheromones were leaking out of my pours. " _Please_ , Derek?"

His Adam's apple bobbed thickly and his eyes moved to meet my own. I noticed his eyes were a darker green shade and he said, "We'll compromise. No more. No less."

My eyebrows knitted together. Plan: Seduce Derek so I could pay. Result: Failure. I bet you the results would be a lot less different if I was naked, but obviously… I couldn't do that.

"Fine," I crossed my arms, reaching for my purse. I looked at the total, seeing it was about twenty-two dollars. I went to grab a ten and a one, when Derek slapped a twenty on the counter.

I looked up at Derek, and he arched a brow. He nodded towards the cashier. "Go on."

A low growl erupted from my throat and I pulled out two dollar bills, slapping it on the counter.  _Damn_  wolf. See if he gets lucky any time soon.

I could hear Derek's amused chuckle as he grabbed the bags, and I collected the change. "You suck," I grumbled as we left the supermarket. "All I pretty much did was pay for Stiles's chocolate."

"Then he won't have to pay me back," Derek shrugged. "Sindy, it's fine. Twenty-two dollars wasn't going to kill me."

"It wouldn't kill me, either," I protested.

Derek looked down at me and asked, "How much do you make?"

"About ten dollars an hour," I informed without missing a beat. Derek sighed heavily and continued walking on towards my car. What the – "Hey!" I exclaimed, jogging after my mate. "What the hell is," I huffed, imitating his sigh, "supposed to mean?"

I dug into my purse, pulling out my keys and popped open the trunk. Derek loaded the bags into it before closing it shut, and I followed him. He turned to look at me and suddenly, I found myself pinned to the side of my car gently.

"Sindy," he said quietly, lowly. "What's mine is yours." He rubbed his face against my cheek, and a low purr of satisfaction escaped my lips. "Everything. Including myself."

**DEREK HALE**

I pulled back to see Sindy's orbs darken to a milk chocolate, before she pulled out of my grip to fist my shirt. As her tiny fists clenched around the cloth, she yanked me down, and I supported myself over her car as my lips crashed down on hers.

She moaned softly into my mouth, and I opened it wide for her tongue to slip in easily. My hands moved away from the roof of her car to grab at her hips. I hooked my fingers through the belt loops over her jeans, and pulled her so her pelvis was against my own.

I closed my lips as her tongue slipped out, and I opened my eyes slowly. My hands made a small trail up her body, and I felt her exhale deeply against my lips, kissing me softly.

When I placed my hands on either side of her cheeks and rubbed my thumb against the bones there softly, her eyes slowly opened up. Her gaze locked onto mine, and we stood there, lips touching, eyes unwavering for a few seconds.

It wasn't until I pressed against her lips in one last kiss before stepping away, freeing her from my hold. Her face was slightly flushed, with her cheeks a light pink underneath her skin.

She stepped away from the car and then looked at me shyly through her lashes before walking hastily to the other side of the car. I chuckled softly as she fumbled with her keys, and could hear her heart skip a beat faster.

She slid into the car and I heard it unlock before I popped open the car door and sliding in myself.

"Breathe, Sindy…" my mate said to herself, looking out the window. "So your boyfriend literally left you breathless. Just breathe." I don't think she was aware that she was talking out loud.

"'Breathless' huh?" I quoted, making her flush even more. She threw herself over her steering wheel, and I found great amusement in how she could be a sexy little vixen or an adorable blushing squirrel.

I'll admit, I  _never_  used the term "adorable" or "cute" before Sindy. And I  _certainly_  never used the term "beautiful" outside the women in my family.

There was Paige – who was delicate and pretty.

And there was Kate – who was sexy, sultry, and seductive.

But then I look at Sindy, and she's pretty much everything: delicate-looking, but fierce. Pretty, but unaware of her natural beauty. Sexy as a vixen when she wanted to be, and seductive to match. Her voice would occasionally fall to a sultry, silky tone. And she was also beautiful – the whole package.

Deciding to ease her embarrassment, I said, "If it helps, you leave me catching my breath sometimes, too."

Sindy turned her head and looked at me with innocent, doe-like eyes. "Really?" she asked in astonishment.

I leaned forward in my seat and maintained eye contact with her before saying, "Do you have  _any_  idea what kind of effect you have on me?" I just hid it better, but she really did mean  **everything**  to me. She shook her head, and I brushed a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face. I kissed her softly again, before pulling back.

I'd show her later.

Once Sindy's heart rate settled, she started the car, and began to drive back to her house.

It didn't take long for her to settle back into her driveway, and I exited the car as she turned the engine off. Grabbing the grocery bags easily, I followed her inside the house, heading to the kitchen.

Interestingly enough, she took off her sandals once she entered the kitchen, leaving it at the doorway.

Seeing my puzzled expression, she replied, "I don't want to get them dirty. Can you imagine running off food ingredients off those cute things?"

I rolled my eyes at her feminine comment and placed the ingredients she bought on the kitchen counter as she got started on grinding the beef.

"Could you chop the onions and garlic?" Sindy called from where she worked. "I'm gonna work on the tomatoes and the noodles."

"Sure," I responded easily, and whirled around to grab a dicing board, when I stopped.

Sindy realized what she was tying on and flushed. "St – Stiles got it for me a year ago," she mumbled.

It was a small, frilly red apron with cherries as the pockets. There was also a pink flower on the center of her chest, between her round breasts, but that wasn't the thing that caught my attention. No, it was the little prints of the rabbits and squirrels with the colorful mushrooms printed all over the front.

I groaned softly, feeling myself harden at just how adorable she looked.  _Squirrels_?

"Don't you have any other aprons?" I asked, willing myself to get the cutting board and a knife. I pointedly avoided looking at her, but I could see a flash of red every time she moved.

"No," she responded. "Why the hell would I have more than one apron? I don't even cook all that often."

I turned so my back was to her and began to silently chop the onions. Thankfully, because of werewolf healing, I didn't tear up because of the juices.

"I – I wasn't aware you could cook," Sindy said from behind me. I angled my head to see her looking down at my hands, which were flawlessly cutting the onions.

"Laura and I had to learn when we were in New York," I told her.

"Oh," she replied, before I heard shuffling and then the stove turning on. I could hear her placing the noodles into the boiling water.

We cooked in silence – minus the sounds of boiling water, fire burning, and chopping. I was content with just having Sindy's presence near me.

I heard Sindy turn off the stove, before moving to the sink, where she rinsed out the noodles, and could hear her moving around as she put the noodles into a pan and place it back on the stove.

I could hear her moving around and grab a knife before she began to chop tomatoes – the smell immediately filling my nose.

After I finished chopping up the onions and garlic, I angled my head to see what else she needed me for.

I moved to open my mouth, but the sight before me had me at a loss for words.

Sindy had tied her hair into a high ponytail to keep her locks from getting into her face, and as she chopped at the onions, humming softly to herself, I was filled with the vision of her a couple years older, standing in the same position, except with one noticeable difference.

Overwhelmed by desire, I growled lowly in my throat, striding over to her quickly in three steps. She gasped, the knife falling out of her hands as I wrapped my arms around her slim waist, pulling her flush against me.

"D – Derek?" she asked quietly.

I growled lowly in response, and dug my face into the center of her hair tie, reaching up. I grabbed the band and tugged on it, releasing her locks from her prison.

I spun her around and pushed her against the door of the freezer, and pressed my body against hers, trapping her.

She moaned softly into my chest, and an intense feeling flowed through me.

"You're a vision," I said lowly, looking down at her. "Just the image of you… there's just one thing missing," I trailed my hand down to her flat stomach, and rubbed it sensually. "Just the image of you swollen with our –  _my_  pup."

Envisioning Sindy cooking – barefoot and pregnant – brought out an intense desire inside of me. Perhaps it was all of this pup talk we've been having recently, but I couldn't wait for the day that she would bear my children.

Would we have a little boy – the spitting image of me? Or a young girl – who was every bit of beautiful as her mother? Or a child boy or girl – with a mix of both Sindy's and my features? Maybe all of them?

I leaned down, nuzzling her bare neck, before lowering the collar of her shirt, revealing her invisible mark to me. I flattened my tongue over it, and Sindy moaned into my ear, gripping my shirt tightly in her tiny fists.

She breathed heavily, and my hands flew to her hips – wide and perfect for child-bearing – and picked her up easily. She gasped, her legs automatically coming around my waist to hold herself up, and I strode over to the island, placing her down flat on it.

I easily untied that apron of hers and tossed it aside, while pressing her against the island. Using her leg muscles, she wrapped them around my hips, pulling me close to her, as she lifted herself up easily so she was sitting up.

Her small hands dived into my hair, tugging and pulling on it softly as her lips pressed against mine. My hands went to the hem of her thin tank top, and I dragged it up, making sure the tips of my fingers were touching her soft skin.

She moaned quietly into my mouth, pressing against me briefly before pulling away so I could pull the clothing off of her. The dark green bra complimented well with her peachy skin, and I couldn't resist, reaching up to cup her ample breasts through the cotton material.

She threw her head back in my arms, and my left arm went around her back to support her as she bent and writhed under my touch. I placed her down on the island gently, unhooking the back of it as I did so.

Sindy helped me pull it off her body and she threw her arms up above her head, baring herself to me. My hands went around her body, and I cupped a full breast in each hand, loving the way the soft tissue filled my palm and fingers.

I leaned down over Sindy's tiny body, and she writhed beneath my touch. Did she know just how much I loved her little size? A shallow gasp came from Sindy's throat as I wrapped my lips over the pert, pink nipple of her right breast.

My adorable little squirrel's breathing grew short as I nibbled against her tip while the other hand massaged and pinched the perky peak of the other. I growled lowly, her sounds of pleasure filling my body with the most fulfilling sense of dominance and male pride.

My mate was enjoying each and every bit of my touch, and I was determined to bring her to the highest peak of pleasure possible. I licked and sucked my way over to the other breast, and sucked on the tip there. I could feel the pulsing of her heartbeat and my right hand trailed down her body, reaching the button of her jeans.

I pulled back briefly to tug at her jeans, silently telling her to lift her hips. She obeyed without question, and I tugged the ridiculously skin-tight jeans off of her. Before I could lean back down to kiss her, she pushed against my chest.

I quirked an eyebrow at her, and she simply reached down, tugging at the hem of my shirt. Giving her a smirk, I let her remove my dark t-shirt, before she tossed it aside.

It was then I noticed that her underwear wasn't matching the bra she originally wore, and I chuckled briefly under my breath.

Her chest flushed as I observed her light yellow boy shorts, which had become almost translucent due to her wetness. The flavescent color was a bright contrast when compared to my dark jeans, just showing how much light she brought into my life.

"I didn't–" she began to explain herself, but I cut her off with a searing kiss.

I pulled back, the both of us breathing heavily, and I couldn't help but glance down to see her breasts moving with her pants. When I peeked a glance at her face, I saw she was also eyeing my own chest with clouded lust.

"You're the most adorable," I leaned down to punctuate it with a kiss, "amazing," another one, "beautiful," another kiss, "perfect," and another, "girl I've ever met." She flushed at the compliment, and I couldn't help but find amusement in how she was sitting on her kitchen island in nothing but a pair of pale yellow underwear, but she was  _blushing_  because of a compliment I had given her.

I knew for a fact that I didn't give her enough credit like she deserved through words. Words were never really my thing. Action was the way to go, and I was going to show her just how much she meant to me.

She complied silently as I pushed her back down on the island again, and I kissed the valley between her breasts, making my way down her stomach. I kissed her little belly button and licked around it as my hands gripped her hips softly.

She moaned under my touch and I felt her right leg drag up my body. I gripped the sides of her boy shorts, and pulled the material down her legs slowly, the aroma of her arousal hitting my nose.

I inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet, heavy scent that belonged to my mate. It was a scent that only I'd ever be familiar with, and no one else. The beast inside of me pounded, wanting release to claim what was his, but I willed it down, instead, choosing to take a step back to admire the beauty that was my mate.

As my eyes scanned the entire length of her body, I noticed a light pink tinge start to cover her body, as she flushed under my gaze. I bent down at the waist, unbuttoning my jeans to try to relieve some tension in the bulge that had built inside.

When I was level with her moist opening, I placed a hand down on her abdomen to keep her steady, before I leaned in.

I flattened my tongue over her wet, glistening slit, trailing up as I took in the sweet juices that flowed out of her as Sindy moaned loudly, arching her back as more of her sweet nectar flowed out of her. Sindy brought out a sweet tooth that I never knew was inside of me every single time.

My hands went to her thighs, and I spread them even wider for me. A small " _oh_ " escaped from Sindy as I lapped at her opening, catching every drop that dribbled out of her.

She was pink. She was swollen. She was beautiful. And she was all  _mine_.

A low growl escaped from me and I pressed deeply, rubbing my nose against her clit as I took in her musky scent. An arch and pleasured sigh from Sindy was my response, and the primal urge to take her and mark her was mine bubbled inside of me, almost boiling to the top.

Her hands flew to my hair, and she tugged on the strands there as she squirmed and cried out beneath me. I loved the sounds she made, and I just wanted  **more**. I dived in, my tongue slipping in between her wet folds and I couldn't help but release a moan of my own as her walls tightened around my tongue.

"D –  _Derek_!" she gasped out, fingers tightening around my hair, causing me to growl in response. I could feel her pulsing around my tongue and I continued to thrust it in and out of her, all the while rubbing my nose against her little wet button.

I lapped at her insides, feeling the way her delicious pussy clenched around me, and couldn't wait to be buried inside of her. I throbbed inside my jeans as I felt her get closer and closer to her orgasm, her sounds of excitement and pleasure growing in volume.

The pulsing around my tongue began to increase and Sindy's cries of my name suddenly turned to mewls and whimpers. She incoherently muttered words, and I focused on the task at hand. I slipped my tongue out of her and licked up and down her sensitive center.

I wrapped my lips around her erect clit, and when I gave a strong suck, she screamed loudly, and I slipped a finger inside of her, not wanting to miss an opportunity to feel her clench and throb around me powerfully. She came underneath me, and I heard a small  _thump_  as she slumped back on the island.

When her throbbing started to slow, I lifted my head, pulling my finger out of her. I watched as a thick trail of her juices glisten against the light, connecting the tip of my appendage to her.

I held my finger up and saw her eyes follow it with a lustful gaze. Quirking an eyebrow at her, I moved to cup her jaw, holding the index finger in front of her lips. She opened it and when her lips closed around the digit, I couldn't help but groan at how hot and damp her mouth was.

Her strong tongue snaked around my digit, and I could feel my knuckle brush against the roof of her hot mouth. I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my socks, before unzipping my pants with my free hand.

Sindy pushed my finger out of her lips and gave it a small kiss, before looking up at me with her doe-like eyes. I pushed down my jeans and boxer briefs together at the same time, and stepped out of the articles of clothing. Her eyes moved from my face, down my body, to where I stood erect.

My little minx licked her lips in anticipation and I didn't stop myself from leaning down and giving her a deep kiss. She sighed heavenly into my kiss, and I gripped her hips gently, moving her so I was poised at her entrance.

I entered her in one swift, thick push, and our moans mixed together between our lips. I pulled back in order to breathe, and held her hips as I began to thrust in and out of her.

Sindy arched her back, her brown locks mussing as she moaned. I watched, in a deep trance, at the way her eyes closed in ecstasy, abandoning herself to me. My orbs trailed down her slender neck, stopping briefly where I knew my mark rested, and then to her breasts, which bounced freely every time I moved inside of her – which was often.

A spark of male pride filled my insides as she spread her legs wide for me.  _That's it, my mate._  I pulled out and pushed back inside her at a rhythmic pace, enjoying the symphony of her moans, my grunts, and the sound of our skin slapping together every time we joined.

I moved my hands from her hips, trailing down her supple thighs. I squeezed the fleshy meat there, enjoying the way it caused her tighten around my cock. I moved up her legs, and I brushed my blunt nails against her outer thighs, before they reached just above her knees.

I spread her out wider before me, and thrust in roughly, enjoying the way she tightened and how her breasts bounced in response.

" _Ah_!" she cried out sharply, before falling back down onto the island. I loved the way I could see everything from where I stood as I pounded in and out of her. Her slender neck would arch and her mouth would from in a lovely  _O_  as I hit that particular spot inside of her.

When she cheered me on, telling me to move harder, faster, her lips would release a certain purr that made my loins tingle with anticipation.

I sped up to her demands, and she let out a series of moans and cries that had me speeding up even more.

I pounded into her with all I had, and she arched her back beautifully. She had absolutely no idea just how much she meant to me. I held her legs to me, enjoying her hot warmth against me even though we were both sweaty from our love-making.

"Derek!" she gasped, her eyelids cracking open. I groaned when my eyes met hers – so wide, so full of pleasure, so beautiful. A flush filled her system and I felt her throb around me, clenching me in a pleasurably tight way.

Being buried inside of her, surrounded by her wet, soft walls was the best feeling in the world. The way she'd react to my touch sent my instincts into haywire as she'd lose herself in the pleasure, letting go of herself completely only to me.

I could feel her throbbing around me, matching my own pulses as I felt my balls tighten, ready to release inside of her. I sped up, thrust my hips into hers powerfully, the loud smacks echoing off the walls with her screams of ecstasy.

She clawed at the marble island, trying to find some grip as she got closer and closer to her orgasm. I spread her legs, leaning down to cover her body with mine, and she immediately wrapped her arms around me, and I hissed when she dug her blunt nails into my back, clawing for a tight grip… not that she had to worry about that.

I pistoned in and out of her, and I could feel her hot breaths as she moaned and groaned into my ear, before a wetness would occur as she lapped at the sweat that dribbled down the side of my face.

The affection filled me with a deep sense of possessiveness, and I growled, gripping her tighter as I pounded into her. If she was still human, I probably would've broken her already.

Instead, she screamed loudly, and I felt her throb and pulse, before tightening around me exploding around me as she spasmed below me from her orgasm.

I groaned in response, and let her ride out her orgasm, slowing down briefly for her sake. Once she was fully satiated, I resumed my rough thrusts, and she was back to crying out from below me. I felt my sack tighten, and the muscles in my calves and backside squeezed as I got closer and closer.

With a loud cry of her name, I exploded inside of her, pushing all the way to the hilt, causing her to yelp in surprise as I pounded and hit her cervix. Sindy's walls immediately tightened, and she cried loudly once again, climaxing loudly.

Her inner walls pulse and throbbed, massaging and milking me as I pulsed, releasing spurt after spurt inside of her. Sometimes, I didn't even have to continue thrusting inside of her to finish my orgasm. Whenever we reached out peaks together, her walls would immediately seek me out.

I assumed it was because we were mated, but her body was always eager to milk me for all I was worth. I knew it was a mechanic built inside of us, wanting my sperm to fertilize with her eggs to reproduce.

I pulled my torso away from Sindy's but still kept myself locked inside of her, still releasing inside of her.

It didn't escape her notice either, and she panted out, "Wh – Why are you still…?"

I chuckled breathlessly before responding, "Looks like our bodies are determined to reproduce. When you fall into heat, don't be surprised if I'm still inside of you for half an hour."

" _ **Half an hour**_?!" Sindy squeaked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"It's when you're most fertile," I explained, even though I told her already. "Be happy I don't ejaculate for half an hour like wolves and other dogs do. It's just the knot that ties together to ensure pregnancy. My body will sense your heat and work in order to ensure that you  _do_  get a pup inside of you."

Sindy flushed under my gaze and stuttered out, "I – I can't wait for that to happen," she admitted, placing a hand over her flat stomach, and knew that she was referring to a small little pup of our own. Without my permission, a smile crossed my face and a warmth filled my heart.

I placed a hand over hers and admitted, "Me, too."

I ripped a paper towel from the roll that wasn't too far away, and folded it briefly. Sindy looked at me curiously, and I simply gave her a small smirk before I slipped out of her.

Just as I predicted, my seed began to drip out of her right away, and I immediately scooped the dripping liquid with the napkin, pressing it against Sindy's center to avoid a mess from occurring.

Her beautiful face fell into realization and she said out, " _Oh_." Cute, am I right?

"Now be a good girl for me and push," I instructed.

Sindy looked taken aback and asked, "What?"

I held the napkin so it was where her round butt was, and told her, "Push. Unless you want to stand up and drip everywhere."

Sindy blushed deeply, before placing a hand on her mound. I watched as her face scrunched up briefly, before she let out a tiny grunt. Despite how erotic it should've been, to me, it just felt highly endearing.

I couldn't help but be content with the male pride that filled me as I watched my seed drip out of her little pink pussy, before falling to the napkin.

Once I wiped her clean, I threw away the napkin, before helping Sindy stand up. I put back on my clothes and Sindy gathered hers, telling me she'd go freshen up before heading upstairs.

All I had to do was fix my hair and straighten my clothing, and when I heard the shower upstairs start, I knew she was going to try to get rid of her flush. I opened up the kitchen windows, airing out the smell of our love-making, and sprayed the air (away from the food) with some air freshener.

Seeing Sindy's ingredients lying about, I decided to finish up the sauce for her.

As I was mixing the pasta with the sauce, I heard Sindy's footsteps as she bounced down the stairs, making a beeline for the kitchen. She was dressed in a simple purple tank top, a pair of jean shorts, and thigh length red and black striped socks.

"Smells delicious~" Sindy cooed, wrapping her small arms around my waist. She buried her face into my back and once I was done mixing the pasta, I turned around to return her hug.

She smelled completely fresh and like the sun, water, and the stock flowers I gave to her every now and then.

She took my hand in hers and I clasped my larger one around her smaller one, taking in how petite she was when compared to me. Sindy led me over to the living room, and gently pushed me down on the couch, before straddling my upper thighs.

I immediately pulled her so she was flushed against me and she hummed contentedly as I stroked through her wavy brown locks. She purred in my arms, and I could feel the tension rolling off of us in waves. My muscles relaxed, and Sindy angled her head up to look at me.

She was the perfect predator and prey all rolled up in one tiny little package.

I reached up, grabbing the sides of her face, and leaned down, kissing her softly. She shifted so she was kneeling above me, and I groaned when she grinded against me, placing her hot core directly against me.

My hands snaked to her hips, gripping them firmly, and she moaned into the kiss, rocking her hips. Her hands were everywhere. They dug through my hair, ran down my face, gently scraped against my clothed chest…

" _Ahem,"_  I heard a voice clear his throat.

I pulled away from Sindy, turning my head in the direction of the owner of the voice. Standing not too far away from the couch was her father, arms crossed, still dressed fully in his sheriff uniform.

Sindy settled back onto my legs, and I held her steady so she didn't fall as she adjusted her legs. "Oh… uh, hi, Daddy," she greeted, soothing out her hair.

I heard a snort a couple feet away and sat Stiles standing behind his father, drinking from a water bottle. I glowered at the male, but turned back to the sheriff, who looked pointedly at his daughter.

"Sheriff Stilinski," I greeted, standing up, after placing Sindy down on the couch. "It's nice to see you again." I extended a hand.

The sheriff took my hand, shaking it firmly and said, "Forgive me for not being so welcoming, but I  _did_  just catch you manhandling my sixteen-year-old daughter." He looked pointedly at me directly, seeing as we were the same height.

"Get it right, Daddy,  _I_  was manhandling  _him_ ," Sindy blurted out before she could stop herself. Realizing what she had just said, she slapped her hands over her mouth, looking up at me with wide eyes.

I couldn't help the snort that slipped out of my lips and leaned down, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Before we get started, what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?" Sheriff Stilinski asked, making me turn back to him. "After all, you're twenty-two-years old. Are you having sex with my daughter?"

"Daddy!" Sindy protested from behind me, getting up to her feet.

"It's fine," I said to Sindy. "And to answer the question you probably deem the most important… yes, I am."

The sheriff took in a deep breath and exhaled, and I could hear his heartbeat pounding against his chest. Oh, he was irritated. "You realize I can throw you in jail for that, right?"

"You've already thrown me in jail before," I quipped. "But regardless, I love Sindy, sir. And you ask me what my intentions are? I plan on marrying her someday."

I heard it before I felt it, but I heard Stiles choke on his water, before it came spurting out of his mouth, splashing all over his father and a few drops landed on my face.

I glared at the teenaged boy, taking the back of my hand and wiping the droplets away. The sheriff did the same, turning his head over his shoulder to glower at his eldest child.

"Ah – I – uh – I – um… Sorry," Stiles apologized. "But to be honest, Derek's such a sour-" I cut him off with a sterner glare, and Stiles visibly swallowed the lump in his throat before he just said, "Nevermind. Sorry."

The sheriff turned to me, and I could see his eyes were impressed. "Wish I could shut up my son like you can."

"It's a skill I'm thankful to have," I said curtly, nodding. Can you imagine if Stiles  _never_  shut up?  _God_. He was a small price to pay if I could have a lifetime with Sindy, though.

"I'll go clean up," the man said, looking pointedly at his son. "We can start dinner then."

"Let's get the food ready, then," Sindy said, grabbing my hand and tugging it towards the kitchen. I followed her dutifully, and heard Stiles stalk behind us.

She ordered for Stiles to set the table, before Sindy and I started filling four plates with the spaghetti that was kept warm during our brief make-out session.

By the time the entire table was all set, the sheriff came back downstairs, dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans.

"Looks great, Sindy," Sheriff Stilinski said, taking a seat at the head of the table.

"Thanks," Sindy replied, sitting down before I filled the one next to her. "Derek helped out."

It didn't escape my notice that Stiles, who was sitting across from Sindy, gave me a smirk, but I silenced him with another glare. He snorted in response, and we all began to eat.

"So, Derek, what do you do?"

I glanced up from my chewing and swallowed before responding, "I'm currently still trying to settle with my family's money," I answered semi-truthfully. I was also searching for Boyd and Erica and tracking down the Alpha Pack, but he didn't need to know that. "Laura – my sister – and I came back to settle a few things, including our old house, but then…" I trailed off, and the sheriff nodded sympathetically.

"Where are you staying?"

"I just recently bought a loft downtown in the warehouse district," I informed him.

"It's really spacious," Sindy piped in. "Kinda gloomy at first, but it's got an amazing view."

"Well, Derek doesn't really sing sunshine and rainbows," Stiles quipped, and Sindy shrugged in agreement.

"… How did all three of you meet, exactly?" their father looked at them.

Stiles and Sindy looked at each other before Stiles stuttered out, "Uh… well, um… Scott lost his inhaler that night Sindy busted me with my lacrosse stick… and then we went to search for it, and Derek stepped out, kicking us out because we were on private property."

"I ran into Derek again at the library, when I was getting some books," Sindy admitted. "He helped me out and walked me to my car… and then I ran into him again at a party."

The sheriff nodded slowly before narrowing his eyes at Sindy. "And… when did  _this_ ," he gestured to me and then turned to Sindy, "start?"

"Officially?" Sindy squeaked.

The sheriff's eyebrows rose and he looked to me, silently demanding an explanation.

"I felt drawn to your daughter the second I met her," I responded, remembering that night in the woods. I still wasn't too sure that she saw me clearly, but I remembered her walking away with her brother and father as I watched on in the dark woods. "I tried to stay away at first," I explained. "I… Before meeting Sindy, I dated Kate in high school. And… you know what she did."

The sheriff shifted in his seat, nodding wearily.

"I lost trust in everyone but my sister after that, but when I met Sindy… she was… she was just like a breath of fresh air," I admitted, sneaking a look down at her. "I met Sindy in early January… by mid-January, she was constantly around and we became semi-official in late January. Within a month, she was able to bring down what I had built in the past six years. By early February… it was official and I didn't even realize it."

The sheriff looked deeply impressed, and I could see the gears in Stiles's head turning. I felt pressure on my left arm and looked down to see Sindy leaning against it gently, before pulling back and kissing my bicep briefly.

"So… you were on the run from the police… but you were  _still_  able to mess around with my daughter the entire time?"

"I wasn't messing around with her," I stated the firm truth. Everything I did was Sindy was serious – my warnings, my internal struggle to not trust her. "But yes. She believed my story and wanted to help me clear my name – along with Scott and Stiles."

The sheriff groaned in response and ran a hand through his hair. "Of course all three of you knew," he mumbled quietly. I knew from personal experience just how stressful handling those three (and more) could be.

"Sorry?" Stiles and Sindy apologized questioningly.

"It's in the past now," their father sighed. "Just… next time don't harbor a fugitive, okay? I promise I'll listen to your guys' side of the story before I make any arrests."

"Sure, Dad," Stiles and Sindy quipped.

"Stiles?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"What do you think of your sister's… uh… boyfriend?"

Stiles looked at me wearily before replying, "Honestly? He scares the ever-living crap out of me half the time." Sindy snorted through her food. "He's also a  _huge_  sourwolf and has no meaning of fun, which is weird, because we all know how peppy Sindy can get with the right amount of sugar… or with me." He shrugged, but I knew how deep their bonds went.

Stiles put some food in his mouth and chewed before swallowing. He continued, "And he isn't nice. To like  _anyone_. He's super blunt, super unhelpful, and super cold." I resisted the urge to glare at him but then he said, "But he's different with Sindy. It's weird. Like, Derek hardly ever trusts Scott and I with anything, but if Sindy asks, he'll tell her. I know Derek doesn't have the best track record – with anything, from the looks of it, but he's good with Sindy. I don't think anyone would be better for her."

" _Awww_ ," Sindy cooed from where she sat, causing her brother to redden slightly. "Who knew you felt so strongly about my boyfriend that way, Stiles?"

"Shut up, Sindy," Stiles mumbled, taking a sip of his water. Thankfully, he didn't spit  _that_  out.

The sheriff nodded before a ringing echoed through the air. He fished out his cell phone before picking up, "Yeah?" I vaguely heard about some break-in at a bank and the sheriff sighed before saying, "I'll be right there, give me a few minutes." He pushed away his finished dinner plate and said, "Well, duty calls. Derek, it was nice meeting you. Sindy, dinner was great. Stiles… watch your water next time."

"Sure, Dad," Stiles grinned.

"Actually, Derek made the sauce. I was cleaning up when it was happening," Sindy piped in, and her father's eyebrows rose to look at me.

"It was nice to meet you, Sheriff," I said, nodding my head. The man nodded before walking off, and I could hear him jogging and a couple minutes later, the front door closed.

"Thanks for having our backs, Stiles," Sindy said, getting up to clear her and her father's plates.

"No prob," Stiles nodded. "Scott's coming over in a bit, there any leftovers?"

"Yeah, plenty," Sindy nodded. "Tell him to help himself and maybe bring some home for leftovers or Melissa. It's your turn to do the dishes."

"I know, I know," Stiles sighed, pushing his seat back and grabbing my empty plate. He rolled his eyes and joined his sister in the kitchen.

Deciding I wasn't needed, I finished the rest of my water before walking upstairs to Sindy's room. I took a seat on her bed before looking around her room silently.

A couple minutes later, the door to Sindy's room burst open, and I glanced up just in time before Sindy came barreling right towards me.

My hands immediately went to her hips before she leaned down, kissing me with a surprising amount of passion. I immediately hardened in my jeans, and Sindy pulled back, reaching to pull her shirt off of her.

As her breasts were revealed to me, my hands shot forward, grabbing the firm tissue as she leaned down, kissing me again. She tugged at my shirt and I obliged, releasing her lips and body for a split second for her to pull the shirt off of me.

She moaned into my mouth and whispered hotly, "You think  _I_  looked good cooking? I practically exploded when I came down and saw you mixing the spaghetti together."

I growled lowly, and Sindy's eyes flashed a dangerous red-orange when I attempted to flip her over. She used her Alpha strength and kept me pinned down, glaring down at me with her bright eyes. "You're at  _my_  mercy, Derek."

I instinctively snarled up at her, wanting to be the Alpha, but she silenced me with a quick kiss, and began to unbutton her jeans – along with mine skillfully.

I kicked my shoes and socks off once again, before she pulled my pants and boxer briefs down. I kicked them off the rest of the way, and Sindy pulled back to kneel over me as she tugged on her jean shorts.

The second they and her panties were pulled down, her arousal filled the room and I inhaled deeply, taking in her luscious scent. I could tell my eyes were flashing a bright red as well as the Alpha inside me bubbled to take over.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sindy placed herself over me, slamming her thighs down to meet my hips. Our groans were silenced when she painfully pressed her lips against mine, and I gripped her bed sheets tightly.

She rode me with wild abandon, eliciting low growls and groans every now and then. My hands went from her sheets, to snake around her soft body, and I pulled her close to me. She growled warningly at me and I tilted my head to the side, showing her my submission.

Her growls softened and she leaned down, capturing my lips with hers. Her pace slowed briefly, before she pulled back, sitting erect on top of me.

A small whine escaped my throat, much to my surprise, and she purred gently, lifting herself off of me before gripping my base. I felt her move me, and then my tip circle her second entrance, wetting the surface.

She looked down at me, a silent question in her eyes, and I nodded affirmatively.

**ANAL SEX BEGINS HERE**

Without another second wasted, she relaxed her body, and I moaned softly, feeling myself enter her second, tight hole slowly.

I watched in amazement as Sindy's body relaxed fully, and her chest rumbled softly as she purred in contentment. My mate was the most beautiful being ever.

When I was fully seated inside her, she whimpered softly, and I could feel her ring around me, adjusting to my large size. I fondled with her breasts as I waited, and could feel her wetness leak out of her pussy, coating my pelvic bone.

Her scent was so powerful that it was nearly suffocating – in the best way. From here on out, I knew it was the battle of dominance and control. Gone was my soft, innocent squirrel of a mate. This was my vixen, and it was going to be nothing but a pure, hard fucking from now.

Immediately, male dominance began to flow through my body, my blood pulsing as I struggled to keep my wolf at bay. Sindy, however, fully gave in to her wolf, and I watched as she arched her back, her canines growing longer as her eyes flashed red.

She dropped down next to my still-exposed neck, and bit down. I roared as the most sensational feeling filled me – throbbing against every artery, vein, and capillary I had. I felt my wolf pounding against the cage, before the lock snapped, and I growled.

I flipped her over, but seeing as the bed was tiny, we landed on the floor with a heavy  _thud_. I pulled out of her quickly and positioned her so she was submissive to me, and slid back inside of her, making her cry out as she threw herself onto the floor.

My cock throbbed heavily inside her anus, and I resisted the urge to pull out and force myself back into her pussy, where it wanted to be.

Before I could move, the door was suddenly thrown open, and I heard a voice exclaim, "Sindy, I heard some cries and a  _thud_  and then–" Stiles stopped in his tracks as my blood red eyes snapped up to look at him. His eyes widened in pure horror and shock and he sputtered incoherently for a couple seconds before yelling in terror, "OH MY  **GOD**!"

My wolf growled, rumbling deep inside my stomach as I heard pounding, before another voice cried out, "Stiles, are you oh–" Scott abruptly stopped at the doorway and I watched as the two looked on – one in pure horror, and when I saw Scott slightly adjust himself, I growled warningly.

"Get… the fuck  _out_ ," Sindy growled from where she was on the floor. She had pushed herself onto her hands. " _ **NOW**_!" she roared, and Stiles scrambled quickly, slamming the door shut and I heard some thumps and curses as he tripped over the stairs with Scott, before I heard two grunts as their bodies hit the first floor.

"What the  **fuck** , man?!" Stiles exclaimed. "That was my  _ **sister**_!"

"I'm a fucking  **guy**!" I heard Scott yell. "Let's just get the hell out of here!" I heard more scrambling, before the front door slammed shut and the sound of Stiles's jeep starting before all but peeling out of the driveway.

"Derek…" Sindy growled from beneath me, and I glanced down the young girl's body, admiring the sharp curve of her smooth back and round butt. "If you don't fuck me now, I swe–"

She didn't get to finish her threat, because I pulled back, slamming back inside her. She let out a guttural moan and she fell forward, keeping only her pelvis up for me.

"You naughty, dirty, little minx," I hissed out, thrusting in and out of her roughly. She moaned and as she arched her back, I felt her tighten around me. "What's gonna happen if I don't fuck you, huh?" I questioned, giving her a particular rough thrust.

She yelped and shivered beneath me in pleasure, her Alpha dominance slowly slipping away as she gave in to me.

"I – I–" Sindy stuttered out, but was cut off when I gave her round little butt a sharp slap. She moaned loudly beneath me, and I was brought back to the day I first tried spanking her. I remembered the way she tightened around me and came multiple times.

A smirk flew to my lips, and every time I pushed into her, I gave her cheek a nice little tap. Pretty soon, she was writing and squirming beneath my touch, as she got closer and closer to her peak.

I gripped her sock-covered thighs, and couldn't help but be turned on by how innocently seductive she was. My mate was definitely unique and it turned me on to no end.

She moaned as I sped up, and I reached forward, gently running my claws down her back. She arched to my touch, and I felt her tightening as I continued to piston in and out of her.

I twisted around on top of her, so I could look at her pretty little legs, and saw her toes curl tightly beneath her socks. I continued to move at the angle, and she cried loudly, and her legs spread wider to accommodate me.

I looked down at where we were connected, breathing heavily. My finger reached down, and I tickled her wet vulva lips, and she screamed loudly, toes curling almost painfully. I pulled my finger back just in time to see her gush her sweet juices from her beautiful snatch, and it took all my willpower to not pull out and lap at her.

Her juices landed on the carpet, staining it a darker color than the rest, and her scent filled the room even more, almost intoxicating me. The animal inside me roared, tugging against his chains, and I decided to let it loose.

I pulled out of her, and landed on all fours before burying my face into her beautiful pussy. She screamed loudly and I felt her erupt once again the second I made contact with her lips, and this time, I lapped up all her juices, feeling a little bit trickle down my chin.

I licked at the sweetness, using my tongue to gather the thick moisture as much as possible as I gripped her cheeks firmly, keeping her still for me to feast. She quaked and shook beneath me, but I was relentless, and even sat up straighter, pulling on her so I could continue to eat more comfortably.

I drank from her like I was a thirsty man in a desert that had just found an oasis, and couldn't help but note just how heavenly it was. I threw her thighs over my shoulders as I leaned back, my back pressing against the side of her bed.

When I moved my hands to massage her soft cheeks, I let out a loud moan as I felt a warm wetness engulf my cock. I pulled back briefly to see Sindy bobbing her head up and down my length, using her arms to support her weight as I lapped at her.

I gave her gorgeous lips one last, firm kiss and flicked my tongue over her little nub, before throwing her to the side. As expected, she caught herself and landed on all fours, growling at me softly. Her hair was thrown to the side, falling over one shoulder as she looked at me with smoldering red-orange eyes.

I stood up, towering over her, and her eyes fell to my erect cock, licking her lips sensually. "Come," I said, my voice deep and distorted from my inner Alpha.

Sindy crawled over to me slowly, swaying her delectable hips before I bent down to her height. "Open," I ordered. Her jaw fell open, and I wasted no time, shoving my cock down her throat. She gagged around me once, before I pulled back, and when I thrust in, she was prepared for it and took it down like a champ.

"There's my good little mate," I purred a compliment towards her. She hummed in satisfaction around me, as I continued to move inside her mouth.

I rubbed my hands down her back, and she continued to purr around me as she bobbed her head in time with my thrusts, which have now gotten shallow. I rubbed my hand against her wet slit, spreading the wetness that was gathered all over, before I pulled her head gently away.

She whimpered at the loss, and I smiled softly, bending at the waist to give her a deep kiss. She let out a small gasp and I bit her tongue gently before signaling for her to turn around.

She spun around for me, and rested her upper body on her arms, holding her pelvis up for me as she spread her legs. Seeing her present herself to me like that made me swell with pride – she was absolutely perfect for me.

I rubbed my sensitive tip along her slit, and she moaned softly, before lowering her hips to direct me to her second hole.  _Hm_ , it looks like I've created a little monster. Nevertheless, I circled my wet tip against her second opening, and slowly eased my way in.

She let out a moan, and I felt herself tighten around me, before I realized she was cumming just from me entering her. Like I said, perfect for me. I groaned loudly, feeling her tighten around me so much it felt almost painful, and kneeled there, waiting for her orgasm to pass. She was so tight I couldn't even move if I wanted to.

My little mate soon relaxed around me, and I began to thrust in and out of her, quickly gaining momentum. Her moans began to increase in volume, and as my balls slapped against her slit, I could feel her wetness leaking out of her, making the most beautiful symphony of cries fall out of her mouth.

"Can you come for me again, my mate?" I asked, whispering hotly into the thick air of the room. "Can you be a good little girl and do it for me?  _Hm_?" I punctuated the last word with a particularly rough thrust, and she yelped, bouncing up in shock before falling flat onto the floor.

She attempted to respond, but all that came out were breathless gasps and wanton moans. My answer soon came, though, as my balls began to tighten, and I began to pound in and out of her even faster and harder.

Her moans and cries were reduced to just three simple words: Derek, harder, and faster. And who was I to deny my mate?

**ANAL SEX ENDS HERE**

I pulled out of her second hole, and before she even had time to realize I had done it, I thrust into her pussy, settling myself in her wonderful snatch. Her wetness filled me, and while anal sex was great with Sindy, there was nothing better than sliding home right  _here_.

At the thought, I swiveled my hips, and she screamed when I hit that spongy spot I loved to feel so much. She throbbed and pulsed around me, and I could feel myself get closer and closer. I knew what was coming, and prepared myself.

My cry mixed with Sindy's pleasured scream, and I exploded deep inside her the same time she pulsed and convulsed around me.

**KNOTTING BEGINS HERE**

A euphoric feeling spread through me as I felt myself swell and knot, locking myself within Sindy as I spilled every drop I had deep inside of her. She moaned and slumped to the ground, completely exhausted as I continued to pulse and spurt my seed inside of her.

I panted heavily, sweat dripping from my brows as I tried to regain my breath as I continued to twitch inside of her. I could feel her walls throb as they milked me, and her womb opened up, accepting all I had to give.

She whimpered softly, undoubtedly feeling the prolonged sense of pleasure. I lied down, placing my sweaty chest over her own sweaty back, and relaxed.

Our heavy breaths mixed together and she rested her head to the side of her carpet and I kissed her cheek softly, nuzzling against it gently as we waited for my knot to subside.

"Th – this isn't going to last half an hour, is it?" Sindy struggled out through her breathing, which was slowly relaxing.

I chuckled softly, and just as she asked that, I felt my knot subside. I kissed the side of her head one more time and replied, "There's your answer."

**KNOTTING ENDS HERE**

I pulled myself out of Sindy's little pussy, and my chest puffed at seeing the sperm that was inserted in her spill out, landing on the carpet, mixing with her own juices.

"Come here," I urged gently, sitting down on the carpet. Without missing a beat, Sindy pushed herself onto her knees, and as she spun, I could see her face sour as my essence dripped out of her.

Seeing her uncomfortable, I got up from where I sat, heading out to the restroom. I grabbed a washcloth, wetting it, before walking back to the room. I draped the washcloth over my hand and signaled for her to sit on it, while I crossed my legs, leaning against the side of her bed.

She scrambled into my lap, and pressed her warm center against my hand with the washcloth. I cradled her body close to me as I gently wiped her clean, eliciting soft sounds from her as I sensually stroked her.

"Push," I instructed gently. Her face squeezed slightly and I had a vision of her, sweaty and lying in a bed, screaming profanities at me as she broke my hand. I purred gently around her as I stroked her hair, slowly cleaning her.

When I finished, I dropped the cloth and picked her up, settling her down onto her bed. She nuzzled into the blankets, and I smiled softly at her innocent-like beauty.

"I'm so tired," she mumbled, eyes cracking open softly to glare at me with her caramel-colored eyes. "It's all your fault and that wonderful peen of yours."

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "Peen?" I echoed.

"Mhm-hm," she said, before yawning cutely. She smacked her lips and she reached out to me blindly. "Stay with me."

I lifted her gently in order to pull back her blankets, before settling into the bed with her. She immediately cuddled to my warmth, and I snaked an arm around her waist. Kissing her temple gently, I whispered softly, "Good night, Sindy. I love you."

"Mhm…" she mumbled softly. "I love you, too…" she managed to mutter out before I felt her fall asleep in my arms. I stroked her arm gently, and she nuzzled deeper into my chest, unconsciously drawn to me.

I gave her one last kiss on her temple, before relaxing my muscles, joining my mate in sleep.


	45. Together

**TUESDAY  
** **AUGUST 14, 2011**

I gracefully plopped myself down on Stiles's bed, waiting for him to finish his work. I glanced over at my father, who was leaning against the doorframe with an exasperated look on his face.

"You know how many vehicle collisions last year involved deer?" Stiles asked. "247,000," he replied without waiting for us.

"Oh, God,  _please_  go to school," Dad sighed out.

"But that's crossing the road," Stiles mumbled. "This one last night came right down the middle."

Dad stepped inside the room and looked at me. "Sindy, to school." I stood up from Stiles's bed and gave a mock salute before leaving the room, just as I heard Dad say, "I'm not gonna beg you."

"Okay, good," I heard my brother say as I grabbed an apple from the fruit basket. "I'm impervious to your influence anyway."

"Would you consider a bribe?" I heard Dad ask as I walked to the door. Oh, wait. Let me listen to this.

"You couldn't meet my price," Stiles quipped.

"Extortion?"

"You got nothing on me." I snorted very lady-like around my apple before biting off a piece.

I chewed softly as I heard Stiles's chair rolling as he cried out, "Dad, what are you doing? Dad, what are you doing?" And then a  _thud_.

I let out a small laugh before opening the front door, leaving my house. I slipped into my car easily and started the engine, just as I spotted Dad all but dragging Stiles out of the house.

I rolled my eyes and drove off, heading to school.  _Junior year, here I come._

As I drove, I couldn't help but think about what had happened over this summer.

Boyd and Erica were still missing. Derek, Isaac, and I had tracked down their footsteps, but their scents were just suddenly…  _gone_. All we could tell were that there were other unfamiliar scents around, and that could only lead to one conclusion: they were taken.

Isaac had been gone for a while now – about a week, and he was supposed to be back last night, but I haven't heard from him. Derek had gone to search for him and I would've gone, too, if he wasn't so adamant that I went to school.

He was usually telling me to ditch, so it was weird to have my werewolf boyfriend telling me to go school.

I parked my car in an empty spot about a minute before Stiles, and I climbed out of my car, throwing my bag over my shoulder.

"Kinda wish I had more time to research," Stiles muttered, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he walked up to me. "Something wasn't right."

I pursed my lips before licking them. I had promised Derek I wouldn't tell Scott or Stiles about the Alpha Pack, but the second their lives were in danger, I was going to do everything I can to keep them safe.

We were quickly joined by Scott at the entrance, and we entered the school.

"Oh," I realized from between Scott and Stiles, remembering something. "I forgot to ask. How was the tattoo?" I turned my head to the left, to look at Scott.

Stiles's face blanched while Scott's nose scrunched up. "I healed right over it," Scott told me. "I'm thinking about asking Derek for help."

"You wanna ask Derek for help?" Stiles repeated, looking over to me to our best friend. "Why, why?"

"He's got the triskele tattooed on his back," Scott replied. "So there  _has_  to be a way to do it without healing, right?" He looked down at me.

"Don't look at me," I shrugged. "I just know he has a sexy tattoo on his back."

"Okay, first,  _please_  don't talk about your mate like that in front of me," Stiles begged, looking at me.  _Fat chance_. Scott and Stiles talked about sex often around me. It's only payback. Then he turned to Scott, "Okay, yeah, but still, doesn't he have his hands a little full?" My brother gestured to the  _Missing_  posters of Boyd and Erica.

"Look, these are the applications for the career advisor," I heard a British voice say. "I need them sorted." Scott, Stiles, and I peeked our heads in to peer inside the principal's new office. "And whatever happened to the library while I was gone, I want it cleared up. And what… the hell… is  _this_?" The unfamiliar man held up one of Gerard's old swords.

"Well, it looks like he's not a hunter, so I guess that's one less thing to worry about," I commented. The boys nodded in agreement and we walked to our lockers, grabbing our English books.

The three of us quickly found seats within each other, and I sat behind Stiles so the three of us could talk more easily.

The class was almost full, when Lydia and Allison both walked in. I watched as Lydia took the seat next to Stiles and my brother tossed me a grin. I rolled my eyes in response.

My eyes followed Allison's movements, and I could see her approach Scott before awkwardly ask, "Is someone…?"

"No, no, no, no, no," Scott replied. "It's all you. All yours. Uh, it's totally vacant."

I couldn't help it. The corner of my lips curled at how awkward Scott was, and I made eye contact with my brother. We both turned to Scott as he turned to look at us and we both mouthed quietly, " _Smooth_."

Stiles even gave a small thumbs up. I wouldn't go that far.

My phone suddenly began to buzz, along with everyone else's in the room, and I dug into Derek's leather jacket that I wore. I pulled out my phone and glanced at it, reading it silently as a voice suddenly read it out loud.

"'The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway, leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.'"

A woman dressed in a creamy blouse with black partial circles and black pencil skirt came walking in, her nude heels clicking against the tiled floor. My eyes examined her, taking in her semi-long brunette hair that was clipped back to reveal her sharp eyebrows.

"This is the last line to the first book we are going to read," she explained. "It is  _also_  the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone," she ordered.

I was simply about to just put my phone on silent, when my phone began to buzz like crazy. My eyes widened when I saw it was Melissa and I looked up at the teacher. "Um… I'm sorry, but… I work at a hospital, and… um… well, my sort-of boss is calling me."

The teacher pursed her lips, her dark lipstick rubbing against the flesh before she said, "Very well, but this will be the last time this happens, Miss…" She looked down at her clipboard, looking at the role sheet. "I – I can't pronounce your name."

"Uh, just call me Sindy, with an  _S_ ," I supplied, before picking up. "Um, Melissa, I'm kind of in–"

" _Sindy, I need you at the hospital right now,"_  Melissa interrupted me.  _"Isaac was admitted here late last night and he's about to go into surgery."_

"What?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing. "But he can't."

" _I know that,"_  Melissa said.  _"And that's why I need you to come down here and get him. I'll write a note for you later. I can call the school if that's what you need."_

"What about Derek?"

" _He's not picking up."_

"Of course he isn't," I mumbled. He had that annoying habit of annoying phone calls when he was on a job. "I'll be right there, then." I stood up, gathering my stuff. Both Scott and Stiles looked at me weirdly.  _"Isaac,"_  I mouthed to the two of them before turning to the new teacher. "There's a bit of an emergency I need to attend to. I'll have a note and you can give whatever homework to my brother." I pointed at Stiles.

"Alright then, Mister…" she looked down at her roll sheet before her eyebrows furrowed.

"Just call me Stiles," my brother supplied. "Like Harry Styles, except it's spelled with an  _I_  and I'm  _way_  cooler and obviously more handsome."

"Get my other work for me, too," I patted Stiles's shoulder before leaving the classroom. I had a bad feeling about this, and absolutely couldn't shake it. I tried to call Derek, but I got nothing.

I bit my lip as I sat in my car, considering my options.  _Sorry, Derek,_  I apologized mentally, before dialing Melissa's number.

" _Are you here yet?"_  Melissa asked.

"No, but I'm on my way," I said, starting my car. "I need you to call the school and get Scott out of class, too. I have a bad feeling about this, Melissa, and I might need him."

" _O – Okay,"_  Melissa replied, and thankfully didn't ask any questions.  _"I'll call right now."_

"Thanks," I said, before slamming on the gas and pulling out of my parking spot. I shifted the car into drive, and pressed on the gas again, taking off in the direction of the hospital.

I entered the hospital, the doors sliding open wide. Melissa met up with me and said, "Oh, good," she sighed out. "He's in room 215 if he's not in surgery already."

"Thanks," I said, before striding quickly down the hallway. I saw too many people waiting in front of the elevator, so I ran to the stairs, before rushing up, taking three at a time.

I quickly found Isaac's room, and threw it open, but…  _nothing_.

"Shit," I cursed. I turned to move out of the room, just as I almost crashed into a woman.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled and my eyes widened as I took in the appearance of the woman. She had an exotic appearance, with high cheekbones and a small nose. My eyes scanned her quickly, and I saw that she was barefoot and…

"Oh shi-" I cursed again, but was abruptly cut off by her attacking me, eyes glowing bright red. I leapt out of the way and looked around. There were too many people around here.

I ran up the stairs, and I could hear her moving behind me, growling lowly.

I threw open the door to the rooftop in a matter of a minute and did a backflip, dodging yet another one of her attacks.

"What's the matter?" she taunted. "Is the little baby scared of the big bad Alpha?"

"Actually," I responded, feeling my fangs elongate and my claws grow out. I closed my eyes and opened them. "I'm one, too."

She roared at me and lunged forward. I braced myself and we rolled, me grunting as my back hit the cement roof roughly.  _Shit_  that hurt.

I moved to kick her out of my way, but then she hissed at me and I grunted in pain when she swiped her claws over my arm, cutting through the jacket.

I kicked her away and she flew off. I looked down at the jacket and frowned. "This is my mate's jacket," I frowned. I charged at her, and she swiped her legs quickly, and I hissed in pain when the claws on her foot scratched over my face.

My eyes shut tightly in pain as I could feel the cuts bleeding and I reached out blindly, relying heavily on my instincts. I plunged my claws into her stomach and she roared and I threw her away from me.

I heard a  _whoosh_  of wind, before I peeled my eyes open. Some red obscured my vision, but I barely caught the last of the woman falling off the roof. My eyes widened in shock, and I darted forward, leaning over the roof.

But nothing was there.

I pulled back and took deep, heavy breaths. I leaned up and hissed in pain when the adrenaline started to wear off, before my scratches stung. I placed my palm over my face, and pulled back.

My hand was stained with blood and I examined my cut on my arm.  _Fuck_ , that hurt, too.

I leaned back, breathing heavily.

And then I remembered.

"Isaac," I mumbled, my hand pressing over my very slowly healing cuts. I pushed myself off the wall of the roof and stumbled to the door. I heard rapid footsteps, and jumped back just as the door flung open powerfully, slamming into the wall.

"Sindy!" I heard two familiar voice exclaim.

"Hey," I mumbled from behind my hand. "Isaac?"

"In your car," Derek explained quickly. "Let me see your wounds."

"I'm fine," I replied, refusing to remove my hand. They were pretty bad if you asked me, and they five long cuts from the side of my left ending on the side of my right.

There was one just above my eyebrow, one above my eyes stretching over the top of my nose, another beneath my eyes (also over my nose), and two more over my cheeks, also going over my nose.

"Let me see," Derek insisted, pulling my hand away from my face forcefully. I saw Scott's face scrunch before he saw my bleeding arm. "You're healing. But very slowly, but it's because of the fact that it's from an Alpha. It'll be gone by tonight."

"That's good," I said. "I would hate to show up to my first official day in school with these nasty cuts."

The corner of Derek's lips twitched before he said, "C'mon. Let's get out of here."

"I'm coming, too," Scott all but demanded.

Derek threw the young teen an exasperated look, but didn't argue. He grabbed my hand, and we quickly walked down the stairs. We moved quickly out of the hospital, making sure no one caught sight of me or my wounds.

I handed Derek my keys and he slid into the driver's seat, while I got into the passenger's. I spotted Isaac in the backseat, unconscious, and Derek took off, with Scott on his dirt bike right behind us.

It didn't take us very long to arrive in front of the run-down Hale Manor, and Derek quickly picked up Isaac, entering the house. My phone began to vibrate and I saw it was Stiles calling.

"Pick up for me," I ordered Scott, tossing him my cell phone. I went to help Derek with Isaac, who was still unconscious, but the strange thing was, there wasn't a scratch on him.

"Hey, can you tell us about it later?" Scott inquired on the phone as he joined us.

" _Well, no,"_  Stiles responded.  _"Pretty sure this qualifies for immediate discussion."_

"Okay, then meet us at Derek's."

" _Derek's house?"_  Stiles asked.  _"What the hell are you doing at–"_

"Just meet us here, okay?" Scott interrupted before hanging up. He slid me back my phone, and walked over to Derek, who was on the ground, looking for something beneath the floorboards. "You don't still live here, do you?"

I brushed Isaac's locks out of his forehead, looking down at the boy in concern, while Derek replied, "No. The county took it over, but there's something here that I need. It'll help heal a wound from an Alpha."

"Yeah, but it  _did_  heal," Scott said, looking down at Isaac's flawless skin.

"Not on the inside," Derek pointed out.

I furrowed my brows, before looking down at where Isaac's supposed-wound was. I blinked a couple of times, before my vision got clearer, and I looked closely. My nose furrowed at the sight of Isaac's torn side beneath his skin.

I blinked one more time, and my vision returned back to normal.

It was silent for a bit, before Scott asked, "Hey, are you gonna tell me who that was back there? That Alpha… Did he attack Sindy, too?"

"No," I mumbled. "It was another one."

Derek threw me a pointed look before he turned back to Scott and replied, "A rival pack. It's my problem. I know you wanna help, and you did. I owe you one. Now go home. Go back to being a teenager."

Derek walked over to the table where Isaac and I were and placed the herbs down on it, picking it carefully.

"Uh, hey, Derek," Scott called. "If you wanna repay back that favor now… There  _is_  something you can do for me."

Derek looked at Scott, before nodding, turning to take care of Isaac.

When Isaac was almost done being treated, I could hear the familiar rumble of Stiles's jeep. A few seconds later, the door was thrown open, and I heard my brother stumble in.

"Okay, you won't  _believe_  what happened. We were just in class and there were these birds and they just started suicide bombing into the windows and then–" Stiles stopped abruptly at the sight of us and then his eyes flew to me. "What the hell happened to your  _face_?!"

"Thanks," I said sarcastically.

"No, seriously, Sindy," Stiles said, approaching me. He cradled my face gently and looked down at me. "What happened? Who did this to you? Why aren't you healing?"

"Fight, an Alpha, and it is, just slowly," I responded. "It'll be gone by tonight, don't worry about it."

"My sister's  _face_  is  _scratched up_  and you ask me to  _not worry about it_?!" Stiles cried. "No, no. I don't care if it was some big, bad Alpha that did this. I'm kicking his ass."

"First off, it's a  _her_ ," I responded. "Second, it's fine, Stiles. I can take care of myself."

Stiles frowned, and then he glanced over at Scott. The latter shook his head, and my brother pursed his lips, dropping the subject.

After Derek treated Isaac, he ordered Scott to sit down for him to check out Scott's tattoo. Curious, I blinked and my vision became clearer. I looked at the two bands on Scott's arm before giving my brother an incredulous look.

He shrugged in response, shaking his head.

_Yeah. Lame tattoo._

"I see it," Derek said, looking at the Beta's arm impassively. "It's two bands, right? What does it mean?"

"I don't know," Scott admitted. "It's just…" he reached forward and drew two circles, one bigger and around the smaller one on the dusty table next to him, "something I traced with my fingers."

"Why is this so important to you?" Derek inquired.

"Do you know what the word  _tattoo_  means?" Scott asked.

Stiles leaned forward and quipped, "To mark something." Derek glanced up at my brother and he gave a satisfied nod.

"Well, that's in Tahitian," Scott nodded. "In Samoan, it means  _open wound_. I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned eighteen. I always wanted one. I just… decided to get it now, to make it kind of a reward."

I blinked. Since his break up with Allison, Scott's… changed. Mostly for the better, but… to be honest, he was quite emo these days.

"For what?" Derek asked for an explanation.

"For not calling or texting Allison all summer," Scott admitted. "Even when I really wanted to, even when it was so hard not to sometimes. I was trying to give her the space she wants. Four months later, it still hurts. It still feels like a, uh…"

"Like an open wound," Stiles and I supplied for him.

"Yeah," Scott confirmed.

Derek exhaled through his nose before saying, "The pain's going to be worse than anything you've ever felt." He grabbed a blowtorch, and I blinked.

"Ah, that's great," Stiles groaned. "As if going through the first procedure wasn't bad enough."

"Do it," Scott nodded, determined. Derek lit the blowtorch. My brother visibly paled.

"Oh, wow," Stiles's eyebrows raised. "That's a… that's a lot for me. So I'm gonna take that as my cue. I'm just gonna wait outside."

He moved to walk away, but Derek grabbed my brother's arm, holding him back. "Nope," he said. "You can help Sindy hold him down."

I walked over to where Scott was sitting and placed a hand down on his shoulder. My twin frowned, but walked, taking his sweet time, going to Scott's other side.

"Oh my God," Stiles groaned as Derek held the fire closer to Scott's arm.

I watched as it burned through Scott's arm and he screamed in pain, shaking furiously beneath me. "Hold him," Derek ordered through Scott's cries, and I held him forcefully down.

A couple minutes in, Scott passed out from pure exhaustion, and Derek finished burning the Beta's skin without much struggle.

A few moments later, Scott shot up, breathing heavily. He glanced down at his arm and saw the two bands before looking up at the three of us. "It worked," he declared.

"Well, yeah," I nodded. Scott threw on his long-sleeve shirt and Derek went to go clean up.

I bent down, picking up the flint striker as Stiles and Scott moved to leave. I grabbed the chair to move it out the way, when I heard Scott say, "You painted the door."

I glanced up from placing down the chair and glanced over to where my brother and best friend were. "Why'd you paint the door?" Scott asked, eyes moving from Derek to me.

I met Derek's eyes briefly before my mate turned to the young boy. "Go home, Scott," Derek advised.

Scott touched the wood, and continued, "And why one side?" I watched as he withdrew his claws, and began to scratch the surface of it.

"Scott," Derek protested, and he and I walked out to see Scott furiously flashing at the entrance. I pursed my lips and looked away, feeling a sense of guilt for keeping this from both my brother  _and_  Scott.

"The birds at school and the deer last night… just like the night I got trampled by the deer… when I got bit by the Alpha," Scott realized. "How many are there?"

Derek sighed heavily. "A pack of them," he informed. "An Alpha pack."

"All of them?" Stiles looked at us. "How does that even work?"

"I hear there's some kind of a leader," Derek said. "He's called Deucalion. We know they have Boyd and Erica. Peter, Isaac, Sindy, and I have been looking for him for the last four months."

"Let's say you find them," Scott created a scenario. "How do you deal with an Alpha pack?"

"With all the help I can get," Derek said, looking at both Scott and Stiles.

"Where is she?" I heard a voice say. I turned around, seeing Isaac slowly get up. He sat up straight and demanded, "Where's the girl?"

Derek looked at us, and we just shook our heads. He turned back to Isaac and demanded, "What girl?"

"The girl that helped me escape," Isaac pushed. "Where is she?"

"Isaac," I said quietly, walking over to him. "There was no girl. You were being taken away by an Alpha when we – well, technically Derek and Scott – found you." Isaac pursed his lips and looked down at the floorboards. "Whoever she was… she's gone, now."

"Wait…" Stiles realized. "The disappearances, the covers… You weren't having a 'sleepover' at Derek's, were you?" Stiles turned to me. "You were out there – looking for Boyd and Erica."

"To be fair, half of it  _was_  a sleepover," I mumbled.

" _Sindy_!" Stiles and Scott exclaimed at the same time. "How could you not tell us?!"

"It's my pack's problem," I said quietly. "I wanted you two out of the way and safe from them."

Stiles strode up to me in quick, fast steps. "And what about you?" he demanded. " _Huh_?  _We're_  out of the way, but you're  _right in the line of fire_  and  **not**  safe!"

"It's better me than both of you!" I cried.

"Sindy," Stiles gripped my shoulders tightly – so tightly that if I wasn't a werewolf, it would've hurt me. He shook me once and he looked down at me, eyes slightly glassy. "Sindy, you're my  _sister_. We've  _literally_  been together since birth – hell, before that. If  **you're**  in this,  **I'm**  in it, too. We're  **not**  going to start separating now."

"I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt," I said quietly, looking up at my brother.

"And  _I_  don't know what I'd do if  _you_  got hurt!" Stiles exclaimed. "We're sticking through this together, Sindy, you got it? You're in, and I'm in right there with you."

I looked at my brother silently, and saw the sheer determination in his eyes. And… well, once Stiles made up his mind,  **he made up his mind**. Nothing was going to budge him, regardless of how "defenseless" you think my brother was.

"… Alright," I conceded. "Alright." I nodded. "We'll do this."

"Together," Stiles and Scott confirmed, nodding their heads.

But I couldn't help but wonder… what the hell were we getting ourselves into?


	46. Potential Reward

**THURSDAY  
** **AUGUST 16, 2011**

Sitting perched on Derek's lap, I watched Isaac pace while Derek read a book.

"You know, I'm starting not to like this idea," Isaac said, breaking the silence. "Sounds kinda dangerous. You know what? I  _definitely_  don't like this idea, and I  _definitely_  don't like him."

Derek glanced up from the book and I could feel his irritated sigh. "You'll be fine," he assured.

"Does it  _have_  to be him?"

"He knows how to do it, I don't," Derek admitted. "It'd be more dangerous if I tried doing it myself."

"You know Scott doesn't trust him, right?" Isaac asked wearily. "You know, personally, I'd… well, I'd trust Scott."

"Do you trust me?" Derek turned to the young Beta.

"Yeah," Isaac answered without hesitation. After a moment of silence, he said, "I  _still_  don't like him."

"Nobody likes him," Derek confirmed, and I giggled softly. It's been a while since I've seen or heard his bluntness.

Just then, the steel door slid open, and the man of topic walked in. "Boys," he started, then nodded at me as he approached us, "Sindy. F.Y.I., yes, coming back from the dead  _has_  left my abilities somewhat impaired, but the hearing still works. So, I hope you're comfortable saying whatever it is that you're feeling straight to my face." He stopped in front of us.

"We don't like you," Derek declared, shutting the book he was reading closed. He threw it on the table before ordering, "Now shut up and help us."

I giggled again and kissed his scruffy cheek before standing up before Derek followed my lead.

"Fair enough," the ex-Alpha shrugged, before pulling out his claws.

Derek and I moved to sit on the coffee table, while Isaac reluctantly pulled the chair Derek was sitting in closer to Peter. He sat down, giving us a weary look.

"If he tries anything, we'll rip his throat out," I said, in hopes of comforting Isaac.

He gave me a wary smile, but it dropped when Peter said, "Relax. I'll get more out of you if you're calm."

"How do you know how to do this, again?" Isaac asked, tensing as Peter stood behind him.

"It's an ancient ritual used mostly by Alphas, since it's a skill that requires quite a bit of practice," Peter explained. "One slip, and you could paralyze someone… or kill them."

Derek threw a steely gaze as Peter and I growled lowly under my breath.

"You – You've had a lot of practice, though, right?" Isaac stuttered out.

"Well, I've never paralyzed anyone," Peter admitted.

"Wait, does that mean that you–" the curly-haired boy was cut off by Peter stabbing his claws into the boy's nape, and retraining the young werewolf.

I jumped to my feet out of pure instinct and watched as Peter's eyes glow an electric blue as Isaac struggled beneath his grip. Derek followed my lead, but we didn't move because of Peter's command.

"Wait, I see them," Peter declared.

I waited, completely anxious as the two Betas breathed heavily before Peter abruptly let go of Isaac, flying back to support himself on the table.

"What'd you see?" Derek demanded.

Peter breathed heavily, taking a few steps to take in proper oxygen. "It was confusing," he admitted. "Um… im – images. Vague shapes."

"But you saw something, didn't you?" I asked, walking cautiously over to the two Betas.

"Isaac found them," Peter confirmed.

"Erica and Boyd?" Derek quizzed.

"I – I – I  _barely_  saw them," Peter admitted, stumbling over his words, still confused at what he saw. "I mean… glimpses."

"But you did  _see_  them," Derek pushed, looking at his uncle impatiently.

Peter looked down at his hands, his face souring. "And worse."

"… Deucalion," Derek realized, swallowing his saliva as he took a seat. I bent down, checking up on Isaac. I gave him a look of concern and he smiled softly at me.

"He was talking to them," Peter informed us. "Something about time running out."

"What does it mean?" Isaac asked, turning to my mate, who was deep in thought, hands clasped together.

"He's going to kill them," Derek concluded. Always the worst case scenario, isn't it? I frowned, my brows furrowing together.

"No," Peter said. "No, no, no, no. He didn't' say that. He  _did_  make them a promise that by the full moon that they'd both be dead."

My jaw dropped as Derek questioned, "The  _ **next**_  full moon?"

Peter threw his nephew an exasperated look. "Tomorrow night."

… Well,  _shit_.

A sharp ringing snapped me out of my daze and all three male werewolves turned to me. I mumbled an apology before digging into my pocket, pulling out my phone.

Seeing it was Stiles, I answered, "Stiles, I'll be at school in ten, could you–"

" _Then could you bring Derek, too?"_  Stiles interrupted me. I looked at the wall in confusion before turning to my mate, who had a blank look on his face.  _"Lydia and Allison found something and it might have something to do with Boyd and Erica."_

Hearing that, Derek picked up my keys from the coffee table. He nudged his head towards the door and I followed him. "We're on our way," I replied.

" _Meet us in our history class. It's empty,"_  Stiles told us, before hanging up.

Derek tossed me my keys, and I slid into the driver's seat. Unfortunately, Derek had gotten rid of his Camaro during the summer, exchanging it for a silver FJ Cruiser. I was sad to see the dark car go, but I had to admit – the backseat room was  _amazing_.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. Putting the car into reverse, I pulled out of my parking spot, before shifting the gear. I slammed down on the gas, and took off, heading towards the school.

It took me seven minutes to get to the school, and I got a very angry honk for sliding in to the parking spot next to Stiles's jeep. The guy in the car was about to angrily shout at me, but was quickly silenced by Derek's glare.

"I think I'll keep you around," I mused quietly, striding quickly to my history class.

Derek snorted in response, and I quickly found the room. I pushed open the door and immediately, four eyes fell onto us, tension filling the room.

"Relax," I rolled my eyes. "It's just us." I walked inside the room with Derek, and he closed the door behind him.

"Well, let's see it," Derek said, striding over to the two females. Allison bared her right arm while Lydia pulled the sleeve up to her left. I looked down in confusion, seeing just bruise marks. "I don't see anything," Derek stated, crossing his arms.

I was momentarily distracted by the way the maroon shirt clung to his bulging biceps, before I glanced down at the girls' arms again. … Derek's arms were better to look at, to be honest, but I could  _not_  understand what this meant.

I turned to my brother, hoping for an explanation, but he shrugged. I frowned. I wasn't good at piecing together puzzles as well as my brother. If  _he_  couldn't figure it out – there was  _no way_  I'd be able to.

"Look again," Scott urged.

"How is a bruise going to tell me where Boyd and Erica are?" Derek asked, not keeping his eyes off Allison in a defensive way.

"It's the  _same_  on  _both_  sides," Scott pointed out. " _Exactly_  the same."

"It's nothing," Derek said, keeping his poker face while Allison challengingly met his empty gaze.

"Pareidolia," Lydia stated, making me turn to her. "Seeing patterns that aren't there. It's a subset of apophenia."

"And apophenia is seeing patterns in  _random_  or  _meaningless_  data," I pointed out.

Derek gave me a nod before turning back to Scott, who threw me an irritated look, which I returned right back. Scott huffed before angling his head up at Derek. "They're trying to help," Scott explained.

"These two?" Derek asked in disbelief. " _This one_ ," he pointed at Lydia, "who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle. Thank you. And  _this one_ ," he pointed to Allison, "who shot about thirty arrows into me and my pack."

"Okay, alright," Stiles started, stepping in. "Now, come on. No one died, alright? Look, there may have been a little  _maiming_ , okay? A little  _mangling_ , but no death. And that's what I call an important distinction."

"My mother died," Allison stated, eyes narrowing up at Derek.

"Your family's little honor code killed your mother," Derek pointed out. "Not me. My _mate_ , on the other hand, almost died  _three times_  to your family."

"Then maybe you should protect her better," Allison quipped, and I growled lowly in the back of my throat. I moved to hit her, but arms snaked around my waist, holding me back.

"Calm down, Sindy," Stiles said stiffly into my ear. "Let Derek handle this."

"That girl was looking for Scott," Allison told Derek. "I'm here to help him, not you."

"You wanna help?" Derek inquired. "Find something real." He turned to walk away, and my brother released me slowly and cautiously.

I pulled myself out of his grip and went to follow Derek… and so did Scott. "Derek," Scott called. "Give her a chance, okay? They're on our side now."

"Well then  _maybe_  you should tell her what her mother was actually trying to do that night," Derek bit. He went to leave and I followed him. I could feel his irritation rolling off of him in waves, and with the way the kids were moving aside for Derek to leave, I'd back away, too, if I wasn't his mate.

"You want the keys to my car to drive back?" I asked, holding out my keys. "Maybe drive around for some air?"

Derek stopped abruptly, and I bumped into his back with a small  _oomph_. He whirled around, catching me before I could fall.

I looked up at him and gave him a small smile, "Hi."

The corner of his lips twitched and he pulled me upright, before we walked out of the school together.

I was taken aback when he grabbed me, leaning down for a kiss. I smiled softly into the kiss, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder while his hands moved down to hold my hips gently.

He slid into the driver's seat of my car and closed the door. The engine started, but he simply rolled the window down, allowing me to lean over the car to look at him.

"I'll see you after school?" I asked.

His hand shot out, wrapping around the back of my head. He guided it into the car and I let out a breathless sigh when our lips touched.

When we pulled back, he looked at me, "I'll see you after school," he confirmed. "Stay safe."

I gave him a small smile. "Always am," I said, before giving him a swift peck. I pulled away and backed up from the car, watching the mostly-tinted window roll up before he drove off.

Once the car was completely out of sight, I pivoted my heel, heading back to school. There was still a good ten minutes before the bell would ring, and I think some "down time" with Scott and Stiles would do just fine.

"Miss Stilinski," I heard a voice call. I angled my head to see who was addressing me, and heard the clacking sound of heels approaching me. It was the new English teacher… Miss Blake, I think.

"Miss Blake," I greeted with a small nod.

"Who was in that car?" Miss Blake quizzed, looking down at me. "I'm to report anything I see involving students leaving campus–"

"Oh," I interrupted her. "Yeah, that was my car, but my boyfriend is  _not_  a student here, I can assure you that much."

Miss Blake crossed her arms and looked at me with a perfectly waxed eyebrow. "Is that so?"

" _Yes_ ," I sighed. "And because we took my car here, he needed to drive back, so I offered him my car keys so he can get to work on time," I lied easily. Well, technically, it wasn't  _that_  much of a lie. Derek was most likely going to look up more on the Alpha Pack, and that technically  _is_  his work.

Miss Blake looked at me for a beat, before saying, "Now, Miss Stilinski, I understand that the appeal of an older person is exciting, but would it not be better to be with someone your own age? I understand you and Mr. McCall are good friends?"

"Whoa!" I said, taking a step back. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," I waved off the invisible attack from her. "First off, I believe you're just my teacher, not my parent – and let me tell you, my dad – although reluctant – has accepted the fact that I have a boyfriend that's older than me. Second, as a teacher, shouldn't you just be worried about my grades and  _not_  my personal life?"

"I wasn't trying to be your parent, Miss Stilinski," Miss Blake responded calmly. "And as a teacher, it's my responsibility to also connect with my students. You mean far more to me than just a name and a letter grade. And from my advice, older people are much more…  _mature_ , and therefore ready for actions that you yourself are too young to understand. I don't want you to ever feel pressured–"

"And this is where we should stop," I interrupted here. "I've already had a sex talk with Scott's mom. It was awkward enough. I  _really_  don't want to have one with you – no offense, Miss Blake. And to address the fact, I have  **never**  felt pressured to do  **anything**  with my boyfriend. We've been together for over half a year already, and Miss Blake, I'm a smart girl. If I realized something was off, I'd be getting myself out of the situation. So… yeah. I appreciate the concern, but everything's been addressed already. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Scott and my brother."

Without waiting for a reply, I turned my heel and walked off.

What the crap was  _that_? I thought to myself as I walked away from Miss Blake. She didn't even  _know_  Derek, much less…  **ewgh**. Talking about  _sex_  with your  _teacher_  that  **wasn't**  a Sex-Ed one? Um…  _awkward_.

As I walked through the crowded hallways, I suddenly felt a surge of energy that made a tingle flow through me – and not the good kind like Derek's.

I turned to find the source, and saw myself looking at a pair of male, identical twins. They had light brown hair and dark brown eyes. Their hairstyles were quite similar, flat and then at the top pulled up to reveal wide, broad foreheads. One stood at around six feet, while the other was about five-ten.

At my gaze, they stopped talking, and looked at me. Similar smirks grew on their faces and I watched as their eyes glowed a bright red before fading back to their dark brown.

I narrowed my eyes and walked away from them. There was  _no way_  I'd be able to take on  _two_  Alphas, much less two  _experienced_  Alphas.

I walked to English class, sliding in the seat behind Stiles easily just before the bell rang. Stiles quirked an eyebrow at me, asking where I was silently. I mouthed  _'Derek'_  to him and he nodded, understanding.

Miss Blake entered the room and looked at me for a split second before turning to address the class. I leaned back in my seat, and listened to the lesson of the day.

Class was quite uneventful, because all we did was learn more about the book we were going to start reading next week, and when the bell rang, Stiles, Scott, and I stood up at the same time, gathering our stuff.

As we walked to Econ, which was on the other side of the school past the football field, Stiles asked, "Okay, what would a pack of Alphas want with Erica and Boyd?"

"I'm not sure it's them they want," Scott voiced his opinion. I nodded in agreement.

"Okay, what, like Derek?" Stiles inquired. "Like, they're recruiting? Do they want you, too?" Stiles asked, turning to me. I shrugged, not really knowing myself. They were indeed interested in Derek and me, that's for sure, but that's all I knew.

I realized that Scott had stopped walking, and I stopped as well. I saw Scott looking at the backs of the twins I was looking at earlier in the hallways, and before I could say anything, Stiles called, "Hey, Scott. You coming?"

Scott nodded and rejoined us. The boy then turned to me and asked, "Did you feel it?"

"I did earlier," I confessed. "In the hallways. They're Alphas, too. Must be from the pack."

"What?" Stiles hissed, looking at me, stunned. " _Twin_  Alphas?!"

" _Shh_!" I hissed back, not wanting the two to look at us. "Yes. I made eye contact with them and their eyes glowed bright red."

"Oh my God, Sindy, you could've been attacked!" Stiles waved his arms wildly as we walked. "And here all I thought you were doing was with Derek to give him a make-out goodbye!"

I flushed at the imagery, before scowling. "No. They're not stupid, Stiles. They wouldn't risk it. They have something up their sleeve," I said as we walked into Econ. I took a seat in front of Stiles – next to Danny – and Scott slid into the seat on Stiles's right.

"Okay, so if they aren't attacking, why are they here?" Scott asked as the bell rang.

"Who knows?" I shrugged, just before I heard the sound of a book slamming on the desk.

I glanced up from the two boys, to see Coach Finstock standing there, addressing us all, "The stock market is based on two principles. What are they?" I straightened up as Scott raised his hand. "Yes, McCall, you can go to the bathroom. Anybody else?"

"Uh, no, Coach, I know the answer," Scott said.

Coach gave a wheezing laugh and bent over slightly, but upon seeing Scott's face, he quickly sobered up and said, "Oh… you're serious."

"Yes," Scott nodded. "Risk and reward."

"Wow!" Coach exclaimed, walking over to Scott while I turned around. I noticed Danny's impressed smirk and he arched a brow at me, asking me silently. I shook my head.  _It was all Scott_. "Who  _are_  you and what have you done to McCall? Don't answer that. I like you better," he declared. "I like you better." Coach backed up and asked, "Does anybody have a quarter? A quarter?"

"Yup," I heard Stiles say, and I turned around just in time to see a foil package land right next to me on the floor. … Oh  _God_. I groaned softly, resting my forehead on my hand as I realized what it was – seeing the bright yellow letters of "XXL Condom."  _Jesus_ , Stiles.

I heard Danny's snort of amusement and I glowered at the goalie while Coach bent over, picking up Stiles's foil package. "Stilinski, I think you, uh… you dropped this." He gave it back to Stiles while taking his quarter. "And congratulations."

I angled my head to see Scott shoot Stiles a smile and I looked at my brother in astonishment. He had a girlfriend  _when_ , exactly?!

My brother looked too stunned to reply and I sighed, turning back to listen to Coach's lecture. "Put the quarter in the mug," he held up the mug on his desk, "win the reward. Okay, watch coach." He placed the mug on the floor before backing away, and bounced the quarter onto the floor.

I watched as it bounced on the floor once, flipping into the air, before landing smoothly into the mug. My lips pressed together in amazement and I clapped with the rest of the class.

"That's how you do it!" he exclaimed. "Okay. Danny," he tossed the quarter to the male, who caught it easily. "Risk, reward."

"What's the reward?" Danny inquired.

"You don't have to take the pop quiz tomorrow," Coach replied. Oh… there's a quiz tomorrow?

"… Coach," Danny said, "it's not a pop quiz if you tell us about it."

"Danny, you know, I really expect more from you at this point. Really."

I shook my head, amused. You have to admit, as frustrating as Coach could be, he was downright hilarious at times.

"McCall!" Coach called. "Risk, reward. The risk: if you don't put that quarter in the mug, you have to take the pop – the… the quiz. And…  _and_  you have to write an essay. Risk: more work. Reward: no work at all. Or choose not to play."

"But isn't this just chance?" Scott inquired.

"No," Coach shook his head. "You know your abilities, your coordination, your focus, past experience… all possible factors affecting the outcome. So, what's it gonna be, McCall? More work, no work, or choose not to play?"

I watched as my best friend placed the quarter down after considering his options. "No play," Coach declared. "Okay. Who's next? Who wants the quarter?" Stiles tapped on his open book rhythmically and I turned to see my brother getting up from his seat enthusiastically. "There ya go! There's a gamblin' man! Come on! Step up, step up. Alright, Stilinski!"

I watched as my brother got to the front, and just before he could shoot, the door opened, revealing our father. "Stiles," he called.

"Yeah, Coach, I got it."

"Stiles," Dad called again, this time more sternly. I straightened up and glanced over at Scott. He shook his head, indicating that he had no idea what was going on, either.

I focused on listening outside, and could hear my father ask about Heather.

I furrowed my brows, confused?  _Heather_? She had invited Stiles and I to her birthday party last night, but I was looking around for Isaac last night when he didn't come back in time, so I had skipped out.

I did, however, know that Stiles went with Scott instead, and I turned to Scott for an explanation. He shook his head, not knowing what was happening.

" _I couldn't find her,"_  Stiles replied honestly.  _"I just figured she'd hooked up with her other friends. Has no one really seen her since last night?"_

" _No,"_  Dad replied.  _"We put out an APB, but, Stiles, all her friends say you were the last person who saw her."_

I furrowed my brows and tapped the eraser of my pencil against my desk. Heather was missing? I frowned deeply. While I hadn't kept in contact with her – minus the occasional texts – since my mother died, I still considered her to be somewhat of a good friend.

Stiles, Heather, and I had all grown up together – and we were insanely close, to be honest. Then time just drifted us away – Stiles and I met Scott and boom. Lasting friendship.

After class, Stiles, Scott, and I left the room, walking off to our next class.

"What if the Alphas kidnapped Heather?" Stiles asked us the second we stepped out of the classroom and was out of the earshot of everyone else.

"So you think they kidnapped Heather to turn her?" Scott inquired.

"Derek says it's easier to turn teenagers," Stiles pointed out.

"But what would a pack of Alphas need with a Beta?" Scott asked, cocking his head.

"Scott, I don't  _know_!" Stiles sighed, frustrated. "I don't  _care_ , alright? This girl… Our moms were best friends before Sindy's and mine died, alright? We used to take frickin'  _bubble baths_  together when we were three." Stiles turned to me. "We have to find her."

"If that's the case," I said, "then we need Isaac to remember what he saw."

Stiles looked at me, frowning. "How? Peter and Derek couldn't do it. You guys know any other werewolves with a better trick?"

Scott paused suddenly, his face lightening up as he realized something. "Maybe not a werewolf… but someone who knows a lot about them."

When I met Scott's dark brown eyes, I realized what, or rather  _who_ , he meant: Deaton.


	47. Potential Risk

**THURSDAY  
** **AUGUST 16, 2011**

I ripped open the bag of ice with a claw, before pouring it into the large, metal tub. Once the bag was empty, I tossed the wet bag aside, picking up another one.

"How many bags of ice are there?" I mumbled.

"Twenty – give or take a couple," Stiles replied, dumping another bag of ice. "Aw, man. My hands are numb." I grasped my brother's hand – my hands weren't as numb because the second my body felt the temperature dropped, it warmed up considerably.

My brother let out a thankful sigh and when I released his hands a few seconds later, they were back to their normal pale – but not too pale – color.

"– hypnotized," I heard Isaac say, approaching the tub with Deaton.

"Exactly," Deaton nodded. "You'll be half-transformed. It'll let us access your subconscious mind."

Isaac crouched next to the tub, looking at the liquid warily.

"How slow does his heart rate need to be?" Scott asked.

"Very slow," Deaton replied vaguely.

"Okay, well, how slow is  _very slow_?" Derek quizzed, looking down at the cold tub of water.

"Nearly dead," Deaton replied, and I looked down at the tub.  _Man_ , I'd hate to be submerged in an ice bath.

Isaac slowly touched the ice water, only to hiss the second he came into contact with it. He pulled back his hand and clenched his slightly wet hand. "It's safe, though, right?"

Deaton looked down at Isaac pointedly. "Do you want me to answer honestly?"

A quick looked at the veterinarian's face had Isaac going, "No. No, not really." He looked down at the ice tub and I placed a small hand on his shoulder.

I opened my mouth to say something, when a  _snap_  of rubber caught my attention. I, along with everyone else, glanced up to see Stiles adjusting a rubber glove that extended to his elbows. My brother looked at us questioningly, "What?" I arched an eyebrow at my brother, silently scolding him. He huffed and took off the glove.

I turned my attention back to Isaac and said, "If you don't want to, you don't have to." Isaac turned to look at me with his wary blue eyes.

"She's right," Derek agreed. "If it feels too risky, you don't have to do this."

Isaac stood up and looked at all of us. We waited patiently for Isaac to make his decision.

He then reached up, grabbing the collar of his shirt, before tugging it upwards. I extended my hand for him to give me his shirt, and I threw it on a nearby table.

Isaac exhaled deeply, and slowly got inside the tub. I took off my jacket and rolled up the sleeves of my shirt as Isaac settled into the tub, breathing deeply.

Derek and Scott took a hold of Isaac's shoulders, looked at each other, and slammed the boy down, burying him in ice water.

Isaac resurfaced a second later, roaring loudly and I held the boy's leg down, tight enough so he wouldn't kick out, but not enough to hurt him. Stiles gripped Isaac's knees, holding that part down as well.

"Get him back under," Deaton ordered. The four of us pushed down at once, and I felt my hands go numb. "Hold him."

"We're trying!" Derek snapped.

We pushed him under the water, and after a few more seconds of struggled, Isaac went limp. Cautiously, we pulled our hands out of the water, and Isaac floated up to the surface.

"Now, remember," Deaton advised, looking at the four of us. "Only I talk to him. Too many voices will confuse him and draw him out." I nodded, along with the other males, and Deaton turned to the unconscious Isaac. "Isaac? Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Isaac replied, almost trance-like. "I can hear you."

"This is Dr. Deaton. I'd like to ask you a few question, is that alright?"

"Yes."

"I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd. I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like you're actually there again."

"I – I don't wanna do that," Isaac protested, beginning to move. I instinctively submerged my hands, grabbing onto his ankles gently as the lights flicked around us ominously. "I don't – I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that."

I frowned deeply. Whatever Isaac had experienced when he found Boyd and Erica was traumatizing if his subconscious didn't want to remember it.

"Isaac, it's alright," Deaton soothed. "Just relax. They're just memories. You can't be hurt by a memory."

"I don't wanna do that," Isaac wept, and my heart clenched at the pained look that covered his face.

"It's alright."

"I don't wanna do that."

Not sure of what to do, I purred gently, massaging my thumbs around his ankles in soothing, calming touches. Whether he was aware I was here or not, I wanted him to know that I'd be there for him – no matter what. If the memory somehow came to life, I'd be right there.

All four males looked at me – three slightly confused – before turning back to Isaac. Deaton said calmly, "Good. Now, let's go back to that night. To the place you found Erica and Boyd. Can you tell me what you see? Is there some kind of building? A house?"

"It's not – It's not a house," Isaac denied. "It's stone. I think marble."

"That's perfect," Deaton encouraged, and I could see all of us racking through our brains to identify any building made out of marble. "Can you give me any other descriptors?"

"It's dusty," Isaac supplied. "So empty."

"Like an abandoned building?"

_An abandoned marble building?_  I looked at Stiles, confused. He shook his head, not so sure, either.

The lights began to flicker.

"Isaac?" Deaton asked. "Isaac?"

"Someone's here," Isaac exclaimed, grabbing Scott's wrist. "Someone's here."

"Isaac, relax," Deaton said.

"No, no, no, they see me! They see me!" Isaac cried, flailing around in the water.

"Just memories," Deaton encouraged. "You won't be hurt by your memories. Just relax." The man gave me a pointed look and I focused, purring softly in the back of my throat. I could see the tension easing from Isaac slowly, and Deaton nodded. "Relax. Good. Now, tell us what you see. Tell us everything."

"I hear him," Isaac said, baby blue eyes opening. "Boyd. He's talking about the full moon – about being out of control when the moon rises."

"Is he talking to Erica?"

"I – I think so… I can't – I can't see her. I ca – I can't see either of them."

"Can you hear anything else?"

"They're worried. They're worried what they'll do during the moon. They're… worried that they're gonna hurt each other."

I could see the impatience crawling onto Derek's face and he said quietly, "If they're locked in together on the full moon, they're gonna tear each other apart."

Deaton nodded in agreement. "Isaac, we need to find them right now. Can you see them?"

"No," Isaac shook his head.

"Do you know what kind of room it is?" Deaton asked. "Is there any kind of a marker? A number on a door? A sign?"

Isaac suddenly shot up from the water, but then curled back into the tub, locked and trapped in his memories. "They're here…" Isaac said ominously. "They – They–"

"It's alright," Deaton soothed.

"No." Isaac shook his head. "No."

"Just tell us–"

"They see me!" Isaac cried wildly. "They found me! They're here!"

"This isn't working," Derek huffed. "Isaac, where  _are_  you?" he bent over, asking the Beta.

"I can't see them!" Isaac cried out, panicked. "It's took dark!"

"Just tell me where you are," Derek pushed.

"You're confusing him," Deaton said to Derek, but the Alpha kept pushing.

"I can't see!"

"Isaac, where are you? Just tell me where you are!"

"His heart rate – he could go into shock," Deaton said.

"Derek, let him go," Scott warned.

"Isaac, where are you?!  **What did you see**?!"

"Derek!" I snapped.

"A vault! It's a bank vault! THEY'RE DRAGGING ME INTO A ROOM!  _THERE'S A DEAD BODY!_ _ **IT'S ERICA**_ _!_ " My eyes widened in shock and I let go of Isaac, taking a step back. Stiles caught me before I collapsed and Isaac shot up. "I saw it!" he exclaimed. "I saw the name." Scott helped Isaac out of the tub and a towel was wrapped around him. "It's uh… B – Beacon Hills First National Bank. It's… um, it's an abandoned bank, and they're keeping them loved inside – inside the vault."

When he got no reply from us, he looked at us strangely. "What?"

Stiles steadied me before asking, "You don't remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?"

Isaac shook his head. "No," he admitted.

I swallowed thickly as my brother explained, "You said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room – and that there was a body in it."

"What body…?"

"Erica," Stiles said. "You said it was Erica."

"Let's – Let's dry you up before we discuss anything else," I mumbled, going over to Isaac. "You brought extra clothes, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Isaac nodded shakily. "Y – Yeah. I'll go change." He walked out of the room and we looked at each other quietly.

I walked over to Derek, and I gripped his wrist tightly. He looked down at me and said nothing, but he did move my grip from around his wrist to wrap around his hand.

When Isaac came back, he took a seat on one of the medical tables, and Derek blurted out, "She's not dead."

"Derek, he said, 'There's a dead body. It's Erica.'" Stiles pointed out. "Doesn't exactly leave us much room for interpretation."

Derek tossed my brother a sour look. "Then who was in the vault with Boyd?"

"Someone else, obviously," Stiles pointed out.

" _Maybe_  it was the girl on the motorcycle," Scott interrupted before it could get messy. "The one who saved you?"

"No," Isaac shook his head. "She wasn't like us. And whoever was in the vault with Boyd was."

"What if that's how Erica died? They, like, pit them against each other during the full moons and see which one survives. It's like Werewolf Thunderdome," Stiles suggested.

"Then we get them out  _tonight_ ," Derek pushed.

"Be smart about this, Derek," Deaton advised. "You can't just go storming in."

"If Isaac got in, then so can we," Derek pointed out. It was true, but we didn't have a plan.

"But he didn't get through a vault door, did he?"

"We need a plan," Scott said.

"I agree with Scott," I added, and Derek turned to look at me. I pursed my lips as he released my hand to cross his arms.

"How are we going to come up with a plan to break into a  _bank vault_  in less than twenty-four hours?" Derek asked, looking down at me.

"Uh, I think someone already did," Stiles piped, looking down at his phone. He read, "'Beacon Hills First National closes its doors three months after vault robbery.' Doesn't say here  _how_  it was robbed, but it probably won't take long to find out."

"How long?" Derek asked.

"It's the internet, Derek," Stiles pointed out, scoffing. My mate raised his eyebrows in annoyance. "Okay?  _Minutes._ "

"Fine," Derek huffed. "You guys come up with a plan. We'll meet at my place at sundown. Sindy knows where it is."

"I'll catch a ride with Stiles," I told Derek. "Two extra hands can speed up the Google-searching."

Stiles and Scott nodded and I followed them out of the place. I climbed into the backseat, and Stiles took off – heading towards our home. As Stiles was driving, Scott called his mom to say that he was sleeping over at our place tonight. Melissa accepted the excuse, and by the time he was done with his phone call, we were back at home.

Stiles, Scott, and I rushed upstairs. I was thankful our dad wasn't home yet, and I ran to my room, grabbing my laptop before running to Stiles's room. I plopped down on his bed and cracked open my laptop, and began to search.

I didn't know how long we searched, but I slowly felt my eyelids get tired, and when I glanced down to see it was 2 AM, I decided it was time for a quick nap.

"-ndy," I heard faintly. "Hey, time to wake up." I groaned groggily. Why were my legs heavy? "Boys. Sindy!" I blinked open my eyes slowly. " _Boys_!" I heard two thuds as the weight fell off my legs and glanced up from the bed. Stiles had fallen off the bed, explaining the weight on my legs, and Scott stumbled on one of the softer chairs. "I gotta get to work. You three – get to school."

"Dad!" Stiles called from the floor. "Heather?"

"No," Dad shook his head. "Nothing yet."

"Ten hours and  _nothing_ ," Stiles sighed.

"' _It's the internet, Derek,'_ " I mocked, along with the scoff. " _'Okay?_ _ **Minutes**_ _.'_ "

"So I might've underestimated how hard it was," Stiles sighed. "Ten hours and  _nothing_."

"We're gonna find something," Scott said as I got out of bed. I touched my hair and frowned at how messy one side of my hair was.  _Dammit_. I ran my fingers through my brown locks, straightening it out as best as I could.

"Finding something doesn't make Erica any less dead or Boyd any less about-to-be-dead," Stiles pointed out.

"Well, we still have time," Scott pushed.

"Is this whole, like, 'remain optimistic in the face of complete and utter disaster' thing a part of the  _Be a Better Scott McCall_  program?"

"Stiles," I interrupted. I cleared my throat when it was a bit scratchy. "I know the situation doesn't look that great, but… you're being even more negative than Derek is… and he's not a very happy guy."

I love my mate and all, but "positivity" just wasn't in his vocabulary, and even at this time, he was having hope that our Betas were still alive. To be honest, I didn't have much hope for Erica, seeing as Isaac said he was dead, but we were  _definitely_  going to save Boyd.

"Well, if it's not working, then… I guess I should stop," Scott said reluctantly as Stiles picked up paper after paper.

Stiles sighed heavily, "No, it works," and looked down at the papers he was holding. His eyes suddenly widened in shock and he cried out, "Oh, Dad! Dad? Dad!" He ran out of the room before we could see what was going on.

I walked over to Scott, scratching the back of my neck. Looking down at the paper he held, I could see why my brother took off. There, right in clear ink, was my father arresting the culprit.

To be honest, I didn't even remember going to school. All I could focus on was the plan to break into the bank. ... That sounded a lot less crime-worthy in my head.

At five o'clock, sharp, I pulled open the door to Derek's loft and we walked right in. I walked over to Derek, and leaned against him, giving him a kiss.

I noticed Isaac wasn't here, but Peter was sitting on the spiral staircase. He gave me a small wave and I gave him a closed-lip nod.

My brother placed down the papers we had managed to gather onto the table and he explained, "Okay. You see this?" He pointed at the blueprints. "This is how they got in. It's a rooftop, air-conditioning vent. Leads down inside into the wall of the vault, which is here." He circled the locations with his red marker. "Okay? One of the robbers was lowered into this shaft."

I glanced at the blueprints carefully, following my brother's every move.

"Now, that space is so small, it took him about twelve hours to drill into that wall – which is stone, by the way. Then, throughout the rest of the night, they siphoned the cash up to the guys back on the roof through that one little shaft in the wall." He colored the area briefly and then pounded on the table. "Boom."

"Can we fit in there?" Scott asked warily.

"Yes, we can, but very, very barely," Stiles nodded. "Well, Sindy might be able to easily." I shrugged. I  _was_  pretty small and right now, it was an advantage. "And they also patched the wall, obviously, so we're gonna need a drill of some kind. I'm thinking maybe a diamond-bit–"

"Forget the drill," Derek interrupted.

Stiles paused in his briefing and looked at my mate. "Sorry?"

"If I go in first, how much space do I have?" Derek asked.

My brother sputtered out, "What do you – what do you think you're gonna do, Derek? You gonna  _punch through the_   _wall_?"

I could see a little "Alpha Male" moment and arched a brow, amused. I stood up straighter, watching my brother confront my mate, who just crossed his arms, which caused his muscles to bulge deliciously.

"Yes, Stiles," Derek nodded, lips pursed together tightly. "I'm gonna punch through the wall."

"Okay, okay, big guy. Let's see it. Let's see that fist. Big, old fist. Make it, come on." I watched as Derek held up a fisted right hand. "Get it out there," Stiles encouraged, and my lips twitched in amusement as he said, "Don't be scared. Big, bad wolf."  _Oh, don't you know it._

"Yeah, look at that," my brother continued, oblivious to my amusement, Peter's exasperation, and Scott's wariness. Stiles held up his hand flat from Derek's about three inches away. "You see this? That's maybe  _three inches_  of room to gather enough force to punch through solid co–"

Stiles was interrupted by Derek punching his palm – the force so powerful that it blew Stiles away onto the table. " _Ah_!" Stiles cried, hand slamming loudly back on the table. He walked away, holding his wrist, letting out a higher-pitched, " _ **AH**_!" I couldn't hold in my laughter and a snort escaped from my lips. "He could do it!"

I walked over to Stiles, and grabbed his hand. It shook slightly under my small grip and I took away some of his pain, my veins growing black. Derek pushed Stiles's hand away more than hurt it, so that was good.

"I'll get through the wall," Derek announced as Stiles let out another squeak when I released his hand. "Who's following me down?"

"Well, you're not leaving without me, that's for sure," I declared, crossing my arms. Derek gave me a quick look, before nodding. I was glad he trusted me enough to actually allow me to go (though, even if he said no, I'd still stubbornly go).

We both glanced over at Peter, who replied, "Don't look at me. I'm not up to fighting speed, yet, and honestly, with Isaac out of commission, you're not looking at very good odds for yourselves."

"So I'm supposed to just  _let them_  die?" Derek challenged.

"One of them is already dead," Peter pointed out.

Derek glared at his uncle. "We don't  _know_  that."

"Do I have to remind you what we're up against here?" Peter asked as Stiles rejoined us, holding his wrist. I guess he was still feeling the aftershock. "A  _pack_  of Alphas," Peter continued. " _All_  of them, killers. And if  _that's_  not enough to scare your testicles back into your stomach, try to remember that  _two_  of them  _combine bodies_  to form one giant Alpha. I'm sure Erica and Boyd were sweet kids. They're gonna be missed."

"Could someone kill him again, please?" Stiles pleaded.

"It's a damn good thing  _my_  balls are  _already_  in my stomach," I shrugged.

Derek's uncle glared at both my brother and me and asked, "Derek,  _seriously_?  _Not_  worth the risk."

"What about you?" Derek asked, angling his head to the left, which was coincidentally where both Stiles and Scott were.

"Yeah, if you want me to come–" Stiles started.

"Not  _you_ ," Derek sighed.

"Scott. Got it."

"I don't know about Erica…" Scott said. "But if Boyd's still alive, we have to do something. We have to try."

"But?" Derek inquired.

"Who's the other girl?" Scott looked at us, confused. "The one locked in there with Boyd?"

"Looks like we'll find out," I said, fixing the hem of my tank. "How should we get there?"

"We'll run," Derek declared. "They'll hear any vehicle from a mile way.

"Better get started then." I fixed my leather jacket slightly. The two werewolves nodded, and we walked off quickly, closing the door behind us.

**STILES STILINSKI**

A couple minutes after my sister, my best friend, and Derek left, I looked outside the large window of Derek's loft, up at the full moon through the dewy windows. I paced around for God-knows-how long.

"I can't take waiting around like this, you know?" I asked probably about half an hour later. "It's nerve-racking. My nerves are racked. They're  _severely racked_.  _ **Racked**_."

"I could beat you unconscious and wake you when it's over," Peter said from his place on the couch.  _Aw man_ , I wished they killed Peter before leaving, though.

I turned to Peter and asked, "You think Erica's really dead?"

"You think I  _really_  care?" Peter asked lazily. Look at him, all casual with his feet on the coffee table.

"I just – I don't understand the bank, though, okay?" I paced nervously. "Wha – Like, why wouldn't they chain them up in some underground lair or something? They're an Alpha pack, right? So shouldn't they have a lair?" It made no sense!

"They're  _werewolves_ ," Peter sighed. "Not Bond villains."

"Wait a sec," I realized. "Wait a sec. Maybe they're living there, y'know? Like, maybe the bank vault reminds them of their little wolf dens."

"Wolf dens?" Peter looked at me like I was stupid. Which I was  **not**. I had a perfect 4.0 GPA.

"Yeah, wolf dens," I confirmed. "Where do you live?"

"In an underground network of caves hidden deep in the woods," Peter replied.

_Holy shit_. Will Sindy live like that later on in life? "Whoa, really?"

"No, you idiot," Peter scolded. "I own an apartment downtown."

_Man_. Don't play with a guy's feelings like that. "Okay, fine," I huffed. "But still, that just proves that there's something up with the bank… and why wait around for the full moon, huh? Why not just kill them whenever they want to?"

"Maybe they think it's poetic," Peter quipped, and I just wanted to shove his stupid werewolf face into the concrete floor of Derek's loft for being so stupid. I was asking  **valid**  questions, here!  _ **Important**_  ones!

"They've already had three full moons to be poetic," I retorted.

"And here you've only had one full hour to be so annoying…" Peter sighed, before trailing off.

"No, go ahead," I urged. "Finish what you were saying. I'm an – I'm annoying. What were you gonna say there?"

"What are the walls made of?" Peter asked suddenly, sitting up and then walking over to the table.

"What?" I pulled back, not understanding his question. "Uh… I don't know? Like, wood or brick or–"

"No," Peter said. "The vault. The vault, the walls, what are they made out of? Where would it say that?" He flipped through the blueprints. "Doesn't say anything. Where… where would it say the materials, the type of stone?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, pulling out a stack of paperwork I had managed to print. "Oh, hang on. Yeah, here, hang on. Here. It's gotta be in there." Peter slammed the stack of papers on the table, and began to search frantically.

I bit the tip of my thumb, hoping whatever Peter was onto wasn't going to endanger Sindy and Scott's lives even more… and Derek's, too, I guess.

**SINDY STILINSKI**

I glanced up at the ladder on the railing, sighing heavily. Maybe we should take up some parkour or something. I glanced over at Scott, who was looking at Derek nervously. Sensing the gaze, the Alpha Male turned to Scott, asking, "What?"

"There's just something I can't get out of my head," Scott admitted. I furrowed my brows, troubled by his words. I've been on edge since the night fell, and I assumed it was just because of the full moon, mixed with the anxiety of saving my pack mates.

"The moon's rising, Scott," Derek urged. "What is it?"

"Risk and reward," Scott pointed out. I frowned.

"Which means  _what_?" Derek pushed.

"We're not measuring the risk with enough information," Scott replied. "We don't know enough." I personally agreed with Scott, but it wasn't like we had a  _choice_.

"We know time's running out," Derek replied simply, going to move, but Scott stopped him again.

"Yeah, but think about it," the brunet said. "They put the triskele on your door  _four months_  ago. What have they been doing all this time? Why wait until now?"

"We don't have the time to figure out every little detail," Derek hissed.

Scott nodded, but said, "Okay, but what if this detail – the reason why they waited – what if it's the most important one?"

"Then we do nothing and Boyd and Erica are dead," Derek replied. "I  _know_  what I'm risking. My life for theirs." With that, he latched onto the bars of the window and swung himself to the ladder of the fire escape.

I climbed onto the bar of the windows, waiting for Derek to move. Thank God I wore jeans tonight.

"And I won't blame you if you don't follow me," Derek replied, before climbing up the ladder.

"Sindy," Scott's soft, distraught voice called. I turned my head over my shoulder to look at my best friend. "This could be dangerous."

"I know," I said quietly. "We could die. But Scott… I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew I could save even just  _one_  of them." My heart pounded heavily in my chest, clenching painfully when I thought of the small talks I had with Erica, to the little glances I shared with Boyd when Isaac and Erica were being slightly overwhelming. "They're my family, too."

I swung myself onto the ladder and climbed up, following Derek quickly. A few seconds later, I heard some shaking of metal, and knew from the warm presence behind me that Scott had made up his mind.

I smiled softly, continuing my ascent.

We soon found the hole Stiles was talking about, and  _wow_  it was cramped. It was a damn good thing I wasn't claustrophobic, because…  _wow_. My shoulders were brushing against the walls every time I moved.

… At least the view in front of me was good.

"Stop," Derek ordered, and both Scott and I paused. "It's here." Derek slowly climbed out of the vent, and he slid to the side a bit, before I did the same. No  _wonder_  why Stiles was worried about the force.

When I breathed out, my chest brushed against the wall in front of me, pushing uncomfortably. I frowned,  _Damn boobs._

Derek pulled back as much as he can, and punched forward multiple times, breaking through the concrete. I watched as the wall broke down, and I climbed in after Derek.

I saw a dark figure standing not too far away, and Derek called out cautiously, "Boyd?" The figure stalked forward slowly and Derek continued, "Boyd? It's me. It's Derek."

My phone began to buzz in my pocket, and I frowned. I dug into my pocket, pulling out my cell phone, glancing at Scott, who was doing the same thing.

Seeing it was my brother, I picked up, Scott answering, "Stiles, now is not the best time."

" _Scott! Sindy! Listen to me, okay? Look, you guys have gotta get outta there. Look, the walls of the vault are made with a mineral called hecatolite. It scatters the moonlight."_

"English, please, Stiles," I said hurriedly. He was trying to tell us something, but I had no idea  _what_.

" _Look, it keeps the moonlight out,"_  Stiles explained.  _"They haven't felt the full moon in_ months _."_

I heard rustling sounds before Peter's voice said,  _"Okay, think of it like the gladiators in the Roman Colosseum. They used to starve the lions for_ three days _, making them_ more vicious, more out of control _. Deucalion has kept them from shifting for_ three full moons _, diminishing their tolerance to it."_

"Oh shit," I realized, connecting the dots.

" _They're gonna be stronger,"_  Stiles said.

" _More savage, more bloodthirsty,"_  Peter cut in.  _"Scott, Sindy,_ they're _the lions. They're the starved lions, and you two and Derek just stepped into the Colosseum."_

"Derek," Scott hissed. "We got a problem… a  _really_  big problem."

A second figure stepped out of the shadows, and I noticed that it was female. However, she was  _much_  different from Erica. Whereas Erica had light, pale skin, this girl had tan, almost exotic skin. While Erica had bright, blonde, wavy hair, this girl had straight, dark brown hair.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion at who this female was, and my attention was drawn away from her when Derek asked in a confused, disbelieving tone, "Cora?"

My eyes fell to the female, and I knew who she was. While she didn't look much like Derek, she  _did_  have the high cheekbones that Derek had, and their eye shapes were similar – if Derek was in wolf form.

This was Derek's younger sister.

"Cora?" Derek repeated after swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Derek, get out," she hissed. "Get out  _now_!"

Why was she –  _oh_.

I saw the black, ashy line that looked oh-so familiar… It looked  _exactly_  like the circle Stiles had worked so hard to form around the nightclub at the rave months ago in order for us to stop Jackson and capture Matt.

I was temporarily blinded as the vault door opened, and reflexively threw my arm over my eyes. Once my eyes were able to adjust to the lighting, I lowered it to see Ms. Morrell standing at the entrance, before bending down – finishing the circle.

All of a sudden, Boyd and Cora charged right towards us, and I leapt out of the way. Cora growled loudly, grabbing me and throwing me against one of the stone pillars.

Scott pulled me by the collar of my shirt and I choked on air briefly as he tugged me out of the way of Boyd's claws. Using my feet, I kicked off of Boyd's chest in order to gather distance between us.

"You know her?" Scott asked when both he and I were roughly slammed against the safe boxes.

"She's my sister," Derek explained hurriedly. "My younger sister."

"What the hell is she doing here?!" Scott demanded as I pushed myself off his chest.

"Like I have a clue," Derek retorted. "I thought she was dead!"

" _Look out!"_  a voice called and I ducked just in time to avoid Boyd. However, he managed to grab Scott and throw him against the pillar.

Launching myself towards the bigger male, I grabbed him around the collar of his leather jacket, and tugged with all my might. He growled and pulled me roughly as he fell to the ground, taking me with him.

We scuffled on the floor, and I roared loudly in his face. He flipped me over and roared right back, pinning me down roughly.  _Man_ , he was  _ **strong**_.

Granted, I wasn't using my full strength because I didn't want to hurt Boyd, but at this rate, I'd be cut to pieces by the time the sun rose. I winced when Boyd's claws dug into my side and I hissed, kicking him away from me.

Unfortunately, he landed where Scott was, and my eyes widened when Boyd's hand dug into Scott's stomach, dragging him up the safe boxes.

A flash of movement caught my eye and I turned just as Derek yelled, "No! Don't break the seal!"

I spotted Allison kneeling at the entrance – her eyes trained on Scott's figure. "Allison, don't!" I yelled, but she ignored me.

"Boyd!" she called, splashing the ash away, breaking the circle. Immediately, Boyd and Cora made a dash for the exit, and Derek stomped over to where the archer was.

He grabbed her roughly by the arm, and I winced at the sudden movement. I placed my hand over my stomach, and felt the wound close, but… the liquid blood was still disturbing to feel.

I wiped my bloodied hand onto my jeans and walked outside just as Scott ordered, "Don't touch her!" to Derek.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Derek demanded angrily, releasing his grip on the Argent.

"That I had to do something," Allison scoffed.

"She saved our lives," Scott provided.

"Yeah, and what do you think  _they're_  gonna do out there?" Derek demanded, turning on to the Beta. "Do you have  _any idea_  what we just set free?!"

" _You want to blame me_?!" Allison yelled, and I just wanted to punch her, knock her out, and then go after Boyd and Cora... but obviously, it wasn't that simple. "Well, I am  _not_  the one turning teenagers into  _killers_."  _Oh, she did_ not _just go there._

"No," Derek agreed, nodding. "No, that's just the  _rest_  of your family."

"I made mistakes," Allison admitted. "Gerard is  _not_  my fault."

"And what about your mother?"

Allison looked at Derek, confused. "What do you mean?"

Derek and I turned to Scott, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Tell her, Scott," Derek ordered.

"What does he mean, Scott?" Allison demanded. "What does he mean?"

Derek and I walked off, leaving the two to talk privately. Well, we could still hear them, but I decided to block them out.

I spotted an open door a couple feet away, and nudged Derek softly. He turned to me and I pointed over to where the open door was.

There wasn't any scent.

Derek nodded and gave a small motion to make me stay slightly behind him, and I followed him into the room. When I stepped inside cautiously, I noticed a small, wet puddle blocked by a jacket – Allison's jacket. Glancing up, I spotted a bottle of ammonia – which explained the lack of smell.

My eyes shifted and immediately, a gasp made its way past my lips before I could even stop it. "Oh God," I covered my mouth with my hand.

I heard Derek's heartbeat slow down as he approached the body. He gathered it into his arms, and I unconsciously took a step back.

When he stepped out into the moonlight and the light shined off of the face of the body, I couldn't hold it in anymore and began to sob.

"No," I wept. "No, no, no," I mumbled, shaking my head.

Erica's dull, lifeless brown eyes stared right back at me, her face dirtied and bloodied and her blonde hair – once radiating with life and spunk – was now nothing but a dull, pale yellow – mussed up beyond belief.

"Erica," I choked out, and I could see her body shaking slightly as Derek reigned in his emotions.

While I hadn't known Erica very long, I could've definitely considered her a sister… and even a close friend.

I reached forward softly, brushing her rough, coarse locks out of her face, her eyes still wide open. I placed a hand over her eyes, closing the lids softly, as I leaned down, placing my lips gently on her forehead.

"Erica," I whispered again, feeling my tears leak from my eyes, down my cheeks, and onto Erica's dry, pale skin. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry we didn't come sooner. I'm so sorry."

I hugged her body, ignoring how dirty it was and did my best to breathe. There was close to no scent from her – having been in a room with ammonia – but underneath her jacket, I could smell the lingering traces of blood and strawberries – Erica's own scent.

I closed my eyes, gathering my emotions as best as I could. Wiping away the tears from my eyes, I looked down at her. I reached forward, using the tears that had fallen on her to wipe away the grime off her face.

Once that was done, I took the edge of my sleeve and wiped away at her skin. I took one last look at her, and pushed her gently into Derek's shoulder, so her head didn't hang out any more.

I met Derek's gaze and he nodded, before we made our way back to Allison and Scott.

The ex-couple turned to look at us, and they took in the sight of Erica's limp body. I glanced away, not wanting to meet their eyes.

"We need to stop Boyd and Cora," Derek announced. "Before another can happen."


	48. The Chase

**FRIDAY  
** **AUGUST 17, 2011**

I stood quietly next to Derek under the night sky. Scott was rounding up Boyd while Derek and I tracked Cora's scent. As I searched the air for clues, I thought back to the brief talk I had with Deaton just before Isaac came back from changing.

" _Dr. Deaton?" I asked, looking at the veterinarian as he put away materials._

" _Yes?" he responded, turning to look at me patiently._

" _What happened earlier?" I inquired, cocking my head to the side. "With Isaac?"_

_Deaton placed down the needle he was observing and looked at me fully. "You mean when you were able to soothe Isaac when we couldn't?" I nodded. "Sindy, you realize that you are an Alpha Mate, am I correct?"_

" _Yes," I nodded slowly, not really understanding what he was saying._

" _That makes you the Alpha Female of the pack," Deaton informed me. "Derek is the Alpha Male. As the Alpha Male, he marks his territory and builds the pack to ensure everyone is strong. Basically, he takes care of everything outside of the pack." I pursed my lips, waiting for him to elaborate. "As the Alpha Female, you take care of each individual pack member. You care for them, you watch over them. You deal with everything_ inside _of the pack. That includes on a physical_ and _spiritual level. Your role as the Alpha Female was able to soothe Isaac, as he – whether it was intentional or not – realizes that you are the Alpha Female. The Alpha Male watches over the pack. The Alpha Female protects the pack."_

I blinked as I snapped out of my memory. My lips pursed together tightly as I remembered what Deaton said.  _The Alpha Female protects the pack._

I thought back to Erica's body and internally snorted to myself.  _Some Alpha Female I was_ , I inwardly scoffed. I couldn't protect Erica, and now? I wasn't even sure if I could protect Boyd.

"What happened to Erica wasn't your fault," Derek said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at him, but he was slightly obscured by the darkness of the night. Only part of him was visible because of the moonlight, and with my heightened senses, I could see his dark green eyes looking at me, observing me quietly.

"I'm the Alpha Female," I said quietly, looking at Derek. "My job was to protect the pack. Now look at it," I scoffed, gesturing around us. It was only Derek and I. Isaac wasn't here – he was recuperating from an ice bath that almost killed him. Erica was dead. Boyd was on a deranged rampage. "There's nothing left."

"As long as you and I are still here, there  _is_  still a pack," Derek said sharply, his eyes slipping into a blood red. "Nothing is going to happen with Boyd and nothing is going to happen with Cora. You and I? We're not the only members in our pack, Sindy. You've got a  _lot_  more people than just Isaac, Boyd, Erica, and I to protect. You've got Scott. You've got Stiles. Hell, whether you like it or not, you've got Lydia and Allison. Do you honestly think Erica would want you like this?"

I flinched at his words, images of Erica's spunkiness filling my memories. I clenched my fists tightly. "No," I said quietly.

"Then  _focus_  and work on stopping Boyd and Cora," Derek said with finality and I nodded. I moved to sniff the air again, when Derek's phone began to vibrate. He pulled it out and asked, "How is it?"

" _I lost them,"_  I heard Scott's voice admit.

"You lost them?" Derek repeated.

" _Yeah,"_  I heard Scott say.  _"I kind of had to. There were kids."_

Derek sighed. "Wasn't exactly the plan..."

" _I know,"_  Scott admitted.  _"Which is why I think that we should stick together. Trust me. He's too strong, too fast, and_ way _too angry for one person to handle. We've got to do this together."_

"Look," Derek said, looking around. "Sindy and I are at the trails by the entrance to the preserve. Can you meet us here?"

" _Yeah,"_  Scott agreed.  _"Just got to drop something off first."_

Derek and I waited quietly for Scott, and the wind shifted. I tensed, suddenly filling something fill my nose.  _Blood._

"I'm here," Scott said, skidding to a stop.

"Just caught a scent," Derek said. "Let's go." I nodded and the three of us took off into the preserve, chasing it.

I skidded to a stop when I spotted something, and I felt Derek and Scott stop right next to me, observing what I saw.

It was a muddy footprint.

"Is it them?" Scott asked, seeing the trail of footsteps.

"We're not the only ones that decided to stick together," Derek mused quietly.

"Is that gonna make it easier or harder to catch them?" Scott asked, looking at Derek with a small look of confusion.

"I don't know," Derek admitted.

"Derek…" Scott began softly, approaching the Alpha Male. "I saw Boyd try to rip two little kids apart. Are they gonna do that to everyone they find?"

Derek sighed heavily and said, "Everyone and anyone."

"We're gonna need some more help then," I said, pulling out my cell phone. I didn't really want to call Isaac, but… we needed all the manpower we could get.

Thankfully, I had Isaac's number on speed dial as the sixth number, and held it up to my ear.

" _I'm already on my way,"_ Isaac responded, and I could hear his slightly uneven breathing mixing with the whistling of the wind and leaves rustling.  _"Heard and thought you might need help."_

"Thanks," I said softly. I hung up and slipped the phone back into my pocket.

Derek, Scott, and I waited for a couple more minutes, and Isaac launched out from between two trees, rolling to a stop in front of us.

Isaac made a move to speak, but Derek help a hand to silence him. My mate turned to me and asked in a slightly distracted tone, "You hear that?"

I frowned and closed my eyes, focusing on my hearing. I could hear a few insects buzzing about, a couple leaves floating with the air, some fire crackling… and then heavy breathing… mixed with an erratic heartbeat.

"Let's go," Derek ordered and he and I took off. Scott and Isaac, not having as strong senses as Derek and I did, followed us.

As we got closer and closer, I could tell they realized what Derek and I had heard and sped up, more confident and sure this time.

I was the first to reach Cora, and landed in front of her, growling warningly at her. Isaac was the next to arrive and he charged directly towards her, punching her down.

The girl quickly got back up and threw Isaac against a tree, just as Scott arrived and kicked the brunette to the side. Derek stood next to me and we bared our fangs at her.

She roared, saw she was completely outnumbered, and took off.

Derek was the first to react, running right after her, with me at his heels. I could hear Isaac's footsteps follow after us, while Scott stayed behind for slight damage control.

Cora weaved through the woods, and jumped down a small hill. I moved to run after her, but then glanced down.

Where the hell was she?

I hissed angrily and took a step back. "She's gone," I reported to the males. I huffed before my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. Seeing it was my brother, I picked up. "Please tell me you have good news."

" _Sorry, nope,"_  Stiles replied.  _"I think Boyd and-or Erica killed someone at the public pool."_

My eyes widened and I could see the other three – well, technically, two, because Derek hid his surprise well – with the same looks as I had on. I put the phone on speaker and Scott demanded, "Are you sure?"

" _Yep,"_  Stiles responded, his voice echoing in the quiet night sky.  _"Throat ripped out, blood everywhere. It's like the frickin'_ Shining _over here. If two little twin girls come out of the woods, start asking me to play with them forever and ever, I'm not gonna be surprised."_

"Can you get a little closer to make sure it was them?" Scott asked.

_"Make sure it was them?"_  Stiles repeated in disbelief.  _"Scott, who_ else _is going around ripping throats out?"_

"Please just do it," Scott asked.

I heard Stiles sigh heavily and said,  _"Hopefully your mom will be in charge of the autopsy. I'll call back then."_

"Okay," I said. "Thanks, Stiles."

" _Yeah. Be careful,"_  Stiles said before I heard the dial tone. Locking my phone, I placed it back into my pocket.

"This doesn't make any sense," Derek said, crossing his arms. "The public pool is all the way on the other side of the woods. We haven't tracked them anywhere near there."

"Derek, they killed someone," Scott said.

"How are they moving so fast?" Derek demanded, and I could feel his anxiety rolling off of him in waves.

"Derek," Scott piped in.

"But they can't be that fast on foot," Derek continued thinking out loud.

"They killed someone," Scott cut in. "Some totally innocent kid is dead… And it's our fault."

"It's  _my_  fault," Derek corrected.

"I thought we weren't playing the Blame Game," I cut in, looking up at my mate. "If  _I_  can't take responsibility for Erica's death,  _you_  can't take responsibility for what's happening with Boyd and Cora. Got it?" I glared up at my mate, poking him right in the chest.

Derek grabbed my wrist, and looked down at me. I stood my ground, looking up at him. "I'm not going to let you subject to this, Derek," I said. His grip relaxed slightly and then I turned on my best friend. "And  _you_. You can't play the Blame Game either, got it?"

Scott pursed his lips, not liking the idea, but then nodded. "We need help," he declared.

"We have Isaac now," Derek gestured to the curly-haired boy next to him.

"I mean  _real_  help," Scott edited. I watched as Isaac whirled his head to look down at the brunet with a  _'Really?'_  expression. "They're too fast for us," Scott said, before looking at me, "for  _all_  of us. They're too strong, too rabid."

"We'll catch them," Derek said determinedly.

"What happens if we do?" Isaac questioned. "We're just going to hold them down until the sun comes up?"

Derek was quiet for a second before saying reluctantly, "Maybe… it would be easier just to kill them."

"You know I can't do that," I said softly, looking at Derek. "I might not know your sister, Derek, but there's no  _way_  I can do that. And I  _especially_  can't do that to Boyd. It's just… not right."

"What if it's the only thing to do?" Isaac asked, looking at me. "If we can't even catch them, what else do we do?"

"Find someone who knows what they're doing," Scott cut in.

I turned to Scott, confused. Derek asked, "Who?"

"Someone who knows how to hunt werewolves," Scott replied.

"Chris Argent," I sighed, realizing who Scott was talking about. "How do you know he'll help us?"

"It'll be worth a shot," Scott said.

I pursed my lips, weighing the options. "Well, first we need to find him."

"I brought your car," Isaac said, looking at me. I turned to him, arching my brow. "I… Well, I didn't really know where you guys were, so I had to drive around and catch your guys' scent," he admitted. "And… it was faster in the car… And… I know where you keep your spare keys in Derek's loft."

I sighed before we started walking to the edge of the preserve, where my car was indeed parked. I held out my hand towards Isaac and he slid my key into my palm.

Derek got into the passenger seat while Scott and Isaac climbed into the back. I slid into the driver's seat and started the car, rolling down the windows slightly so we could find Chris's scent.

I drove around town, trying to find the man.

We eventually found him in the parking lot of a grocery store, carrying a couple of large paper bags.

"I'll try talking to him," Scott said, climbing out of the bag, just as I saw Chris drop a bag.

"It has to be the one with the eggs," I heard him sigh. It was either that or the bag with the milk inside it. Always sucked.

Just as he closed the trunk to his car, I saw him whirl around, pulling out a gun and pointing it directly at Scott. "Uhhh…" Scott said, looking at the weapon wearily. "Hi," he finished lamely.

I felt Isaac poke his head from the back, resting his forearms on the top of Derek's and my seats. "Do you think this is gonna work?" the young Beta asked casually.

"Nope," Derek and I responded.

"Me neither," Isaac admitted. I watched as he turned to Derek before saying, "So your, uh… your sister…" I watched as my mate turned his neck from outside the windshield to look at the Beta pointedly. "Sorry, yeah, it's… It's bad timing, I'm sorry."

Derek moved his head to turn back to look outside, when Isaac said, "I'll ask later. It's fine." Derek turned his head back to Isaac with another deadpan look, his forehead creasing as his dark brows rose slightly. Isaac looked taken aback before responding, "Or never. Yeah, yeah, I'm good with never." Derek nodded slightly in agreement.

I couldn't help it.

I snorted softly before my giggles filled the car. Oh  _man_ , it's been forever since I've seen Derek like that.

Once my small, much-needed laughter bubbled down, I refocused to listening to the conversation outside.

"First of all, why would I care about anyone related to Derek?" Chris demanded harshly. "And second, I don't know this kid Boyd. I don't even know his last name."

"Boyd is his last name," Scott pointed out.

"What's his first name?"

"Vernon," Scott provided. "Um… And just curious, but is there a reason the gun is still pointed at me?"

"Well, there's probably still some part of me that wants to shoot you," Chris admitted.

"I get that," Scott shrugged before Chris put away his weapon, approaching Scott.

"Scott, I watched my father brainwash my daughter; almost turn her into a killer. That world…  _your_  world decimated  _mine_. My wife, sister, father? My entire family. Why would I  _ever_  step foot in it again?"

"Because people are going to die," Scott said. "And because  _you_  know how to catch Boyd and Cora without killing them."

"I'm sorry," Chris said, moving to turn away. "I can't help you."

"Uh…" Scott said as Chris walked away. "Do you think you could do me, like, one little,  _tiny_  favor?"

I started up my car, realizing where this was going. "What's going on?" Isaac asked, sitting back.

"We're gonna be going to the pool," I said, taking off.

"How do you know that?" Isaac continued questioning me.

"Because I know Scott," I responded simply, turning out of the parking lot. I made sure there was a good distance between mine and Argent's car, and I pulled into the shadows amidst the flashing lights of police lights.

I could see two parents tearing up over the body on the stretcher while my father talked to them. I frowned, clenching my steering wheel tightly.

"Scott's signaling something," Isaac pointed out, snapping out of my bystanding. I turned to look at the Argent's car, where Scott was pointing to the exit.

I frowned, watching his movements to see what he was signaling. A few seconds later, I gave him a thumbs up.

"What the hell was  _that_?" Isaac demanded as I drove after the Argent's car. "All he did was flail his arms."

"He told me to leave and head back to where we last saw Boyd and Cora," I replied.

"… I don't get you two," Isaac sighed.

"You really don't have to," I shrugged, pressing on the gas slightly. We were running short on time. "And it's actually three. Stiles is pretty adept at our charades, too."

I got out of the car later once I was parked where we last were, I got out of the car, and Derek and Isaac followed me.

Chris climbed out of his own with Scott and pulled out a small duffel bag.

The ex-hunter threw the duffel bag onto the ground, and I could hear some metal clanging inside as he crouched down, asking, "You're tracking them by print?"

"Trying to," Scott admitted.

"Well, then, you've been wasting your time," Chris said. "There's only one creature on earth that can visually track footprints, and that's man. And if you're not trained like me, you have no idea that this print is Boyd's," he pointed at a footprint, "and these–"

"Are Cora's," Isaac supplied, seeing Chris point to another.

"Nope," Chris shook his head. 'They're yours. You trampled Cora's as soon as you walked over here. Listen, I know the four of you are focusing half of your energy on resisting your own urges under the full moon, but  _that_  puts you at a severe disadvantage to Boyd and Cora, who have fully given in. They put the pedal to the floor where you four are barely hitting the speed limit."

"So what do we do?" Derek asked, arms crossed.

"Focus on your sense of smell," Chris advised. "Actual wolves are known to track their prey by up to a hundred miles a day by scent. A trained hunter can use scent to track them. If the wind is with them, wolves can track a scent by a distance of two miles, which means we can draw them to us… or into a trap." He threw Scott a large net. "The full moon does give us one advantage: they'll have a higher heat signature, which makes them easier to spot with infrared."

He threw us all infrared goggles and I looked down at them.

"Thanks, but we've got our own," Derek announced, just as his eyes flashed red.

_Infrared?_

I tried to sharpen my senses, and focused on my eyes. I knew my eyes were glowing sunset-orange as everything became clearer, and when I looked at Chris, I could see his heat signature.

_Cool._

Chris took back the goggles Derek and I had before continuing, "Just remember, we're not hunting wild animals. Underneath those impulses are two intelligent human beings. Don't think they can't rely on that human side. It's suppressed, but it's there, reminding them how to mask their scent, how to cover their tracks, how to survive."

We looked over the cliff that oversaw Beacon Hills and Chris asked Derek, "When's the last time you saw your sister?"

"Nine years," Derek said. "I thought she died in the fire."

"Do you feel like you have a lock on her scent?" Chris asked. Derek shook his head. "Scott, how confident are you in your skills?"

"Honestly, most of the time, I'm trying not to think about all the things I  _can_  smell," Scott responded.

"Sindy?"

"Usually, the scent of blood hits me first," I responded. "It's a bit harder to focus with the moon to actually track down Boyd and Cora's scent – especially since I haven't seen the former in months and I've never even met the latter."

"Alright," Chris sighed. "The problem is when they breach the woods and hit the residential area. Once they're past the high school, they're right in the middle of Beacon Hills."

"They're not gonna kill everything they see, are they?" Isaac asked wearily.

"No," Chris denied. "But there  _is_  an important difference to recognize. Wolves  _hunt_  for food. At a certain point, they get full. But Boyd and Cora are hunting for the  _pleasure_  of the kill; for some… primal apex predatory satisfaction that comes from the  _ripping_  of warm bodies to bloody shreds." I winced at the mental image. "And who knows when that need gets satiated?"

"We can't kill them," Scott said firmly.

"What if we can't catch them?" Derek refuted.

A thoughtful look crossed over Chris's features. "Then maybe we just need to contain them. There's no one in the school at night, is there?"

"You want to trap them inside?" Derek asked.

"If there's somewhere with a strong enough door, no windows, or access to the outside," Chris continued.

I crossed my arms, trying to think of a room, when Isaac suggested, "What about the boiler room? It's just one big steel door?"

"You're  _sure_  the school's empty?"

"Well, yeah," I furrowed my brows. I pulled out my phone, checking the time. "Who the hell's at the school at midnight?"


	49. The Capture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Knotting warning in this chapter.

**SATURDAY  
** **AUGUST 18, 2011**

Chris popped open his trunk, showing us a secret compartment which held all kinds of ultra-sleek weapons.

He pulled out some strange, metallic device from his duffel bag and shoved it into the ground. "These are ultrasonic emitters," he explained. "It's one of the tools we use to corral werewolves, pushing them into a direction we want them to run. Gives off a high-pitched frequency that only they can hear."

He turned it on to demonstrate, and the bright light shined as a loud, screeching noise rang loudly, and I immediately doubled back in pain, backing away from the noise out of instinct as it reverberated through my body, sending painful waves to my brain.

Chris shut it off, and Isaac commented as I rubbed my headache away, "God, no kidding!"

The Argent handed us the metallic devices and I held the cold metal in my hands. "These are gonna drive them to the school?" Derek looked down at the ear-piercing devices.

"And then it's up to you to get them into the basement," Chris nodded.

"Does anyone else want to rethink the plan where we just… uh, kill 'em?" Isaac suggested, looking down at the emitters uncomfortably.

"It's going to work," Scott said. Derek looked at the young boy in disbelief. "It'll work," Scott repeated.

Chris closed the trunk, and we all split up, setting the emitters in areas which would lead Boyd and Cora to the school.

I ran, jumping over a tree root as I tried to find the location I was assigned. I climbed onto the tree, planting one in the branch before darting off before it could deafen me.

I shook my head as I ran and launched the other one a few feet from me, before taking off towards Derek's scent.

I skidded to a stop just as he was planting the last emitter down.

"And the hunted becomes the hunter," a voice drawled. I glanced up to see Peter stepping out of the shadows. He looked down at the emitter and asked, "You really think a few high-tech dog whistles are gonna help?"

"I don't see you offering a hand," Derek retorted.

"Personally, I'm trying to cut down on futile endeavors," Peter admitted.

"Cora's alive," Derek deadpanned to his uncle.

"So I heard," Peter said, giving me a glance. "Let's throw the reunion party when she's not an unstoppable killing machine. Maybe then she'll try not to rip apart your other half." He waved a hand towards me and I just wanted to snap it off.

"I can stop her," Derek responded.

"Sure you can," Peter agreed, "by killing her. Which happens to be the point of this little exercise. Deucalion  _wants_  you to kill them. He wants you to get rid of his baggage, making it easier for you – and Sindy, by default – to join his pack. The fact that it was supposed to happen in the vault, and not up here, out in the open, doesn't change his plan. It just means that Boyd and Cora are gonna kill a few innocent people first."

"Why is Deucalion so interested in Derek anyway?" I asked, the question nagging at my brain for a couple months already.

"Because he's a  _Hale_ ," Peter responded. "And not just any Hale.  _Talia's son_. Who just happens to have a True Mate – now, if that wasn't so thought-provoking, I don't know what is. A True Mate hasn't been recorded for  _decades_ , possibly centuries, and then  _you_  show up, Sindy. You'll be the source of Derek's power, and vice-versa. And within a pack, you share it. I can deeply assure you that a mate's bond is much stronger than any regular family pack's bond. What are you also, Sindy, because Derek is an Alpha?"

"An Alpha Female," I muttered.

Peter nodded. "They don't want  _just_  Derek," he informed. "They want the  _both_  of you. With an Alpha Female – one that is bonded – they can assure that they'll be protected at all times, because, Sindy, it will be in your  **nature**  to protect your pack mates to the  **death**. You will  **die**  for them. Simply put, you're the  _perfect_  pawn."

Derek growled lowly in the back of his throat as he glared at Peter. "That will  _not_  happen. And what do you suggest I do, huh? Should I be okay with innocent people dying?"

"Unless you're okay with killing your own," Peter quipped.

"No one's going to die tonight," I said with conviction. "No one else," I edited, when I remembered the boy that had fallen victim tonight.

"We can catch them," Derek nodded.

"Oh,  _come on_ ," Peter sighed. "How much damage can they do? So they off a few homeless people, a drunk stumbling out of a bar too late, so what? Let Scott deal with it. Let him be the hero of his morally black and white world. The real survivors, you and I, Derek, we live in shades of grey. Then again, even if you  _did_  kill them, you're still an Alpha. You can always make more werewolves."

"Let's go," Derek ordered, looking at me. I nodded, following Derek in the direction of the school.

Derek and I met up with the other three males. "Derek, take the hallway," Chris ordered without hesitation. "Isaac, outside the school. Scott and I will secure the perimeter and Sindy, you'll take the roof."

I gave a small nod before taking off in the opposite direction of the other males, and I scaled the side of the building in order to climb it easily. I took a deep huff as I hoisted myself to the concrete roof of the building and looked down.

A long howl caught my attention and I stood, ready to move. I could hear the loud honking of Argent's car, and flexed my fingers as my claws extended.

I focused on my senses, and listened closely to the night air.

" _Sindy, they're heading your way!"_  I heard Chris call from several feet below. My eyes snapped opened as I heard the sound of two footsteps landing on the roof and I snarled at them.  _"Lure them to the back doors!"_

I snarled warningly at them again, and pivoted. I quickly took off, and as expected, they ran after me.

I forced myself to run as fast as I could, my clothes and hair fluttering in the wind. I leapt off the building, landing on the patch of grass and somersaulted to avoid any injuries.

Just then the rear doors snapped open, and I spotted Derek.

Glancing up at the roof, I saw Cora and Boyd staring from the top of the roof. I snarled gently, and they took the bait, jumping down. I pushed myself up quickly, running into the school after Derek.

I darted down the hallways, following Derek's scent. I darted around the corner, and rested my back against the cold stone wall. I looked up at Derek as I calmed my breathing, and he nodded silently.

I could hear snarls and growls getting closer and closer, and knew it was time to act. Derek and I shot out from the wall, and I watched as he grabbed his sister, throwing her against the wall.

Boyd made a move towards us, but Scott and Chris hopped out of their hiding places and I snarled warningly at Boyd as Cora scrambled to back up to her partner.

"Come and get us," Derek said short, and he ran down the hallway with Scott and I.

We swiveled through the hallways, avoiding Cora and Boyd's attacks and I actually had to grab onto the top of lockers and swing myself up to avoid Cora's claws.

I rolled down and resumed my running.

Derek pulled open a door, and I followed right behind Scott down the stone stairs to the boiler room.

My mate pulled open the steel door, and I activated my vision in order to see better, as I was consumed in darkness.

I found a set of stairs, and leapt down, just in time to catch a fire extinguisher thrown towards me. "When Boyd and Cora come," Derek signaled, and I nodded, hiding behind a large metal pole.

I could hear the snarls get closer and closer, and I calmed my nerves. This plan was fool-proof. It'd end right here.

Taking a deep breath, I heard movement and shot out from my spot, and sprayed the gas just as Derek and Scott did the same.

As the cold gas hit them, Boyd and Cora were deeply confused, flailing around wildly. I dropped the metal tank and darted off, with the males right behind me.

We ran right past Boyd and Cora, and I ran through the darkness again, before bursting out of the metal door that blocked the boiler room from the rest of the school.

Scott slammed right into me, as the small space barely gave us room to stop abruptly, and Derek slammed the door shut.

I tensed behind Scott's back as Boyd and Cora pounded on the door for a few minutes, but the door held steady. Realizing it was futile, the noises stopped and my shoulders relaxed.

Scott pushed himself off of me, stumbling to his feet and looked at Derek in disbelief. "Did that actually just work?"

"It worked," Derek confirmed, and I let out a relieved sigh. Derek went over to me, and I threw my arms around him. His own strong arms circled around my waist, holding me to him, and I realized now that all we had to do was wait for the sun to rise.

Derek kissed the top of my head, and I let out a sigh against his sweaty chest. I felt him angle his head, and I popped my head out to the side to see my best friend leaning against the steel door with and ear to it.

"What do you hear?" Derek asked, his cheek resting against my head.

"Heartbeats," Scott replied.

"Both of them?" I inquired.

"Actually…" Scott said, turning to us with a stunned look. "Three of them."

I felt Derek tense the same time I did and I focused my hearing. I closed my eyes, concentrating deeply.

_Ba-thump. Ba-thump._

_Ba-thump. Ba-thump._

I searched around, and finally…

_Ba-thump. "Hello? Is someone there?"_

My eyes snapped open, recognizing the owner of the voice. "That's Miss Blake's voice."

Derek detangled himself from me, and I watched as my mate walked over to the steel door. My eyes widened when I saw the determination in his eyes, and I gasped sharply.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked shakily.

Derek simply looked back at us and replied, "Close the door behind me and keep it shut."

"You go in there alone, and you're either gonna kill them, or they kill you," Scott protested.

"That's why I'm going in alone," Derek responded. I whimper escaped from my throat, and I ran over to Derek. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, and rubbed my face against his back.

"You can't go in there," I protested weakly, voice half-muffled by his cotton shirt.

Derek turned around slowly and I felt his arms circle around the top of my back as I clung to his waist. I buried my head into his chest, and took in his scent.

"I'll be fine," Derek said soothingly, running a hand through my messy locks. "You just wait out here with Scott and come in when the sun's up."

"But–"

"Do you trust me?" Derek interrupted me.

"Always," I said without hesitation, chancing myself to look up at him. He was looking down at me with soft, gentle green eyes. He could see the trust and loyalty in my eyes, and his hands moved up to cup the sides of my face.

"Then trust me," he said quietly.

I nodded mutely, and he leaned down. He caught my lips with his, and I immediately relaxed in his touch, applying my own pressure against his lips.

When Derek pulled away from me, I took a step back. I trust him. I would trust that Derek would keep himself from harming or getting anyone harmed.

I had to trust him.

My chest throbbed painfully and Derek gave me one last look. He then pulled the door open, and Scott and I slammed it shut behind him, with my best friend pulling the lever to lock it.

I rested my forehead against the steel and clenched my eyes and fists tightly shut, hearing the thuds and roars.

I flinched back in shock when I heard a thump awfully close the door, and my heart squeezed sharply.

"Sindy…" Scott said quietly, and I felt a hand wrap around the top of my arm. I ignored him, focusing on the sounds inside.

I could hear it all.

The grunts of pain. The growls. The roars. The scratches. The thumps. Everything.

I could feel it, too.

Every blow, every strike, every scratch that Derek took. While I couldn't feel it physically, my hands flexed in the air as my wrists and forearms rested against the door. I could feel every injury.

My stomach throbbed painfully. My chest felt like someone took a knife and dragged it across. I gasped when I felt two claws dig into my stomach, dragging them up.

" _Sindy,"_  I heard a faint voice say. "SINDY!" someone yelled just before I was yanked away from the door.

I took in deep, heavy breaths as I stared at the door in shock. Scott shook me as I tried to settle my rapidly beating heart.

"Sindy," Scott said, and I turned to look at him. "What was going on?"

"I–" I swallowed the thick lump in my throat. "I don't know. But… I think… I think I can feel Derek's pain," I said. "I felt scratches and bites… and blows." My hand rested against my flat, bloodless stomach. "I could feel it all."

I looked at the door, still locked shut.

Was this what it meant to be connected?

Scott and I waited helplessly in the small area. Every time I'd touch the door, I'd be locked in a trance of pain, so Scott had forbidden me to touch it. I leaned against the brick wall, gnawing on my lip nervously.

I could hear the growls and grunts, but other than that – nothing. It soon  _faded_  to nothing, as I heard heavy thumps, just as I heard rapid footsteps from up above.

"Scott! Sindy!" I heard Isaac cry out. "The sun's coming up!"

Scott and I immediately sprang to our feet, and Scott quickly unlocked the door. I vaguely heard the door to the top of the stairs open, but I focused on pulling open the door in front of me.

It swung open as I tugged at it, the metal almost slamming right into my face.

I darted inside, with Scott and Isaac right behind me. I followed the putrid, metallic scent of blood as I darted deeper and deeper into the room.

Derek was knelt above the fallen bodies of Cora and Boyd, scratched and bloodied up.

"Derek!" I exclaimed, sliding onto my knees as I stopped in front of him. I cradled his head gently as he took heavy breaths, leaning into my touch. "Oh, God…" I said, looking at his wounds, which were healing.

"There's a teacher," Derek struggled out. "I'll take care of her. Get them out of here," he ordered the two Betas.

Isaac and Scott went to the fallen bodies and picked them up easily. As they carried them out of the room, I held Derek stand up.

"Are you alright?" I asked quietly, pulling Derek to me. He rested the side of his cheek on the top of my head, and I could hear his heavy breathing, tickling my roots.

"I'm fine," Derek sighed out. "I'm almost done healing. It just looks worse." I leaned up, and Derek exhaled deeply into my mouth as we kissed gently. "Go get the car," he instructed softly when we pulled apart. "I don't want your teacher seeing you."

I nodded, knowing it would add to unnecessary questioning. I stood on my toes to give a swift peck to Derek, before leaving the boiler room.

**DEREK HALE**

I stood quietly, watching Sindy walk away. My eyes scanned her for anything out of the ordinary, from the top of her head to her feet. I remembered her face and besides the fact that she was overly tired from staying up all night, had messy hair, and rumpled clothes, she was perfectly fine.

The last of her footsteps disappeared from my hearing, and I heaved a small sigh. My wounds were completely healed by now, though I did have some dry blood left on my scratched up clothes and skin.

I walked off to where the teacher was. I could hear her erratic heartbeat as I pushed open the gate that led to the small storage space in the back, and found her cowering behind metal shelves.

Seeing me, she slowly got up, and I silently extended a hand, showing her I meant no harm.

She slipped a pale hand in mine, and I pulled her up easily. She looked at me from behind her dark curls, and it deeply reminded me of Sindy's own chocolate brown ones she occasionally had.

The teacher gave me a small, weary smile, her high cheekbones rising up slightly before looking at my bloodied form.

Silently, I walked out of the room, and I could hear the teacher's heels clacking behind me as she followed me slowly.

As I walked, all I could think about was getting back to Sindy.

**SINDY STILINSKI**

" _You can't drop by the hospital?"_  my brother asked through the phone.

I glanced at the school, waiting for Derek to come out. I was perched inside my car – Isaac had retrieved it last night – and was currently on the phone with my brother.

"Sorry, Stiles," I apologized.

" _But Sindy, this is important! It's about the guy's death last night. And – and that missing girl, Emily. And… And… Heather's dead, too."_

My phone almost fell out of my hand as the news was brought upon me. "What?" I asked. "H – Heather's dead?" I thought about the young blonde I hadn't seen in years.

" _Yeah,"_  Stiles informed me sullenly.  _"I don't think Boyd and Cora killed anyone last night. Melissa showed me the wounds. It – It's too…_ human _to be werewolf killings."_

"… What do you mean?" I inquired quietly.

" _Heather and the guy Lydia found? They had the same injuries, and I know when they find Emily, she's gonna have it, too. Strangled, throat slashed, head bashed… a three-fold death."_

My eyes widened slightly as I realized what he was imply. "You think there's someone sacrificing them."

" _Human sacrifices, yeah,"_  I could hear Stiles nod.  _"I kinda want you and Scott here to show you, but…"_

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "It's just…"

" _I heard,"_  Stiles sighed.  _"I don't even know why I'd even think you'd come. Derek okay?"_

"For the most part," I said, biting my bottom lip.

" _Are_ you _okay?"_

"I wasn't locked in a room for hours on end with two savage werewolves clawing at me," I responded simply.

" _Scott told me what happened,"_  Stiles said.  _"And I might've done some research on my own… I – I know you felt what Derek felt last night. And plus, you love him. And I don't know about you, but if someone I love got hurt, I'd be devastated."_

"I'll be fine, Stiles," I said quietly, seeing Derek exit the school with Miss Blake right behind him. "Right now… I just want to be with him."

" _Okay,"_  Stiles responded.  _"Bye, Sindy."_

"Bye, Stiles," I bade before hanging up my phone. I started the car, and drove easily to where Derek was.

Hearing my car approach him, he stopped walking, just as I stopped in front of him. Silently, he looked at Miss Blake to make sure she was alright, before popping open the door to the passenger side.

He slid in, and when the scent of dried blood filled the car, I instinctively lowered the windows, turning on the fans to push out the scent. That didn't escape his notice – nor did my mood – and he looked at me briefly before closing the door shut.

He leaned forward, taking my face into his hands. "I'm okay," he whispered softly. I nodded mutely, and he captured my lips with his. I returned his kiss, leaning into his touch, before we broke away.

Derek leaned back in his seat and I adjusted myself so I could face the road, and pulled out of the school. We drove back to the loft in silence, our hands linked together on the center console.

Arriving at the loft, we passed by Isaac and Scott, who were leaving. "We, uh… put Boyd on the couch and Cora on your bed," Isaac informed quietly.

Derek nodded and it was silent for a few seconds before I said, "We'll take it from here. Get some down time in."

Scott gave me a weary, tired look, but nevertheless, left with Isaac.

Derek and I walked side-by-side up to his loft, and I said, "You should take a shower. … Wash off all that blood." I gestured to his now-fully healed body. It still threw me off, though, as I could still smell the sharp, metallic scent of his dried blood on his ripped t-shirt.

Derek walked over to me softly, and said, "Come with me." He leaned down, brushing his scruffy cheek against my soft one. His hands circled around my body, holding me close to him.

I nodded mutely as Derek took a step back. He led me up the spiral staircase and we undressed each other slowly.

After I took off his tattered shirt, I stood on the tips of my toes, throwing my arms around his neck to capture his lips. They met, and I let out a soft sound of relief, pressing my body against his, having an uncontrollable desire to be as close to him as possible.

"Derek…" I sighed out against his lips as I unbuttoned his jeans. I stepped out my jeans and underwear the same time Derek did, and I let him lead me into the large glass shower that was in the corner of the room.

I closed the door behind me as Derek turned on the water, and I jumped at the sudden drops of cold water that hit me. My nipples immediately hardened, and once Derek had the temperature adjusted correctly, he pulled me to him.

He pushed me against the marble wall, and I let out a soft sigh as he recaptured my lips. I cradled his cheeks as he pulled me as close as I could be to him. I felt myself being lifted off the ground slightly, as he stood up a bit straighter.

His head leaned down to the crook of my neck, and I struggled for air as he licked at my invisible mark. My mark that I belonged to no one else but him.

"Sindy…" he whispered softly into my skin, making me angle my head to the side, exposing myself to him. His hands snaked down my body, before taking generous handfuls of my butt cheeks, squeezing the flesh there.

I sighed into the clouded air, moist and thick from our arousal and the warm water. My blunt nails scraped down the planes of his hard body, and I felt the muscles contort under my gentle touch. I pressed my chest against his, softly moaning at the way my hardened nipples would brush against his strong physique as he continued to massage my cheeks.

I reached down between us, grabbing his hard in my small hands. He groaned into my neck quietly, his hands sliding up my wet body to cup my swollen breasts.

Slowly and firmly, I pumped him, relishing in the way he felt so  _big_  to me. My hands never could wrap around him fully, and I adored the way his large body would cover my own, protecting me, watching over me.

I needed him so badly it physically hurt.

I moved him over to the bench that rested against the wall, and sat him down on it gently. He complied silently as I continued to fist him gently. I kneeled down slowly in front of him, keeping eye contact with him.

Situating myself between his legs, I pushed his thighs slowly open, before guiding the tip to my mouth. When his warm erection filled my mouth, both he and I moaned softly, and I slowly bobbed my head up and down.

I made sure to lick the thick vein that prominently bulged on his underside, before pulling back briefly to adjust my knees. Instinctively, he scooted closer to me, and I smiled up at him. He leaned down, kissing me briefly before pulling back.

It was then I grabbed each side of my breasts, and surrounded his hard cock, and I heard Derek throw his head back, a guttural groan escaping from his lips as my fleshy mounds surrounded him.

I kept my eyes trained on him, observing the way he let out pleasured sounds under my touch, and couldn't help but feel my pussy twitch in anticipation. He was so beautiful. I turned down briefly to kiss his mushroom tip, licking up the bead of liquid that had built up there.

I could feel him pulsing between my mounds and he said out softly, "S – Sindy."

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see it, and sped up, keeping him sitting still. I was determined for him to come. He always made sure I was properly satiated, and this time? It should be him.

My lower lips tingled in anticipation and I could feel my arousal drip down my thighs, mixing with the water, filling the air with my musky scent. It brought me so much pleasure just to see my mate in the throes of passion.

"I… I can't…" Derek attempted to warn me, which only caused him to groan, throwing his head back against the marble as I sped up even more for him, all but slamming my breasts down onto his thighs before lifting them up. I kissed his every time I moved down, gathering the rapidly leaking white drops.

"Mark me, Derek," I cooed softly. "Mark me with your scent. Give no one any reason to make any mistake that I belong to you…"

He began to buck his hips with my bounces, and soon, I just held still for him to continue thrusting. I observed his face quiet, seeing the way he'd grit his teeth sharply, before taking in deep breaths through his mouth. My lower lips began to pulse with his thrusts, and I couldn't help but moan softly under my breath, feeling pleasure spread all through me.

I almost lost my grip on my breasts as he gave a particular hard push, crying loudly and I felt him spray his seed all over my face as I watched his face contort in pleasure.

I moaned softly, feeling my lower lips pulse as they attempted to squeeze whatever was inside me – which was nothing, as my orgasm washed through me. I leaned down, and saw the way his entire cock would shake, pulsing in-between the valley of my breasts before it'd twitch and a spray of white liquid would shoot out from the tip, coating me with his warm scent.

My heart raced like I just ran a marathon as I leaned down, capturing the tip with my lips and I felt him spurt into it – filling my mouth with his seed. I pulled back briefly, and licked my lips, before standing up on shaky legs under the shower.

Derek looked at me with tired, yet lustful, eyes as I threw my head back, washing his stickiness off of me, but his scent remained. That was the wonderful thing about being mated. I  _always_  smelled like Derek, and the scent was the strongest during and after copulation, intoxicating me.

The warm water hit my sensitive skin, and I shivered, despite the warm temperature. My lower lips were still aching, despite the orgasm, wanting it filled to the brim. I leaned against the wall to support myself, as my hands slid over my tingling body.

I slowly slid down the wall, highly aware that Derek's eyes were completely trained on me, but I was too far gone to care as I slid two fingers inside my wet snatch. I immediately moaned, feeling my walls close around my fingers tightly, and slowly pumped them in and out of me.

Not liking how it didn't fill me as much, I spread my legs wider, and pulled my fingers out briefly, only to begin to rub them against my swollen clit. I breathlessly sighed, and threw my head back, moaning under my breath.

My eyes closed, and I focused entirely on the way the water would hit my legs, and how my pussy twitched every time I rubbed my little nub. I felt myself get closer and closer, and my toes curled, my hips rising from the floor.

The scream couldn't be held back and I felt my core pulsate wildly as my orgasm shot out of me. I was abruptly pulled onto my shaky legs, and I shuddered, almost falling as my cumming continued, dripping wildly down my legs.

I cried out when Derek pressed me against the glass of the shower, and I continued to convulse around him, squeezing his full length as he thrust it in and out of me shallowly.

Derek gripped my wide hips firmly, not hesitating to start his relentless rhythm as I came down from my high, only to begin the ascent again. I threw my head back, moaning loudly – only to be abruptly cut off by Derek slamming his lips onto mine in an upside down kiss.

He released my lips in order for me to breathe, and I felt him move my hair over my right shoulder while his lips traced my left. I could feel him move his head lower, and I gasped in pleasure before something caught my attention.

The mirrors right across from the shower – right above the double sinks.

I could see my breasts pressed up against the glass, my tiny hands splayed where my head was… and what was the best? Being able to see Derek's glowing red eyes as his canines elongated while he thrust into me from behind.

His eyes caught mine in the mirror and he asked his distorted Alpha voice, "See me claiming you, Sindy? Do you see that? You belong to  **no one**  but  **me**. I'll be with you forever, Sindy. Nothing will take me away from you, do you understand?" I couldn't answer, only whimpering softly. "I asked,  **do** ," he thrust into me roughly. "You," another. "Under," another. " _ **STAND**_?!"

" _ **YES**_!" I sobbed loudly, before he growled, spinning me around so quickly I didn't even have time to miss him before he thrust back inside me.

**KNOTTING BEGINS HERE**

I screamed, the sound echoing in the large room as he continued to pound into me while I convulsed around him. He came with a guttural groan, burying himself to the hilt inside of me, hitting my cervix in the best way possible as he spilled into me. He grew and stretched me in the best way possible, locking himself deep inside of me.

Through my high, I could see it. He'd always be there for me. He'd never leave me alone. He'd be right there – right beside me. The tears prickled my eyes and I leaned my forehead against the glass, easily adjusting to his painfully large size.

My knees buckled and shook, and I would've fallen, bringing us both down if he hadn't caught me, holding me so I was pressed against him.

I'd grown so accustomed to it that I looked forward to it. Looked forward to the way our bodies pushed for pups. His large arms circled around me, and he pulled me to his chest.

I sobbed quietly, the fear of losing Derek from last night coming back to me in full force. I would  **die**  if I ever lost him. I wouldn't be able to continue living. My world would be shattered to pieces – and I wouldn't be able to do anything… but take my own life.

Derek's chest rumbled as he purred gently above me, stroking my wet hair. "Hey," he said softly. "You're never going to lose me, do you hear me?" The thought made me quake in his arms and he held me steady.

My smaller arms went around his body, holding onto his smooth, toned back. I relished in the pure skin to skin contact, all the while connected in the closest way possible.

"You're never going to lose me," he repeated. "You'll graduate. You can continue to go to school if you want. We can get married whenever you want. We'll have little pups – at least two. We'll watch them grow and teach them to control their powers. We'll live the rest of our lives together."

My lips quivered as I nodded mutely, hugging him tighter to me. I could definitely see it, now. It was clear as my Alpha vision allowed. As he continued to throb and occasionally spill inside me, I could see a mini-Derek, or a mini-me, run around, demanding a play fight with their father in order to train.

"You can see it, can't you?"

I nodded again into his chest and he held exhaled deeply, pulling me even closer – if that was possible.

"My beautiful, precious mate," he murmured quietly, stroking my hair. He pulled back briefly, and I missed his warmth, but then he cupped my face so I could look into his wonderful green eyes. "You mean so much to me. Don't cry. Not even the world ending could tear me away from you. I love you."

I gripped him tightly. Derek was always a man of action. He didn't waste time with his words and he would never beat around the bush. He was a direct, confrontational man who showed directly what was on his mind.

I always knew Derek loved me, even if he never said it in many words. He showed me through his actions – every time he held me, nuzzled me, submitted to me. He  **showed**  me. But sometimes, seeing wasn't always believing, especially in our world.

He probably realized it, and I wasn't sure if he knew this or not, but by hearing those words? My fears faded away.

I gently rested my cheek on his chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat.

I could feel his knot inside of me loosen, and soon, he pulled out of me.

**KNOTTING SCENE ENDS HERE**

I stood on my tippy toes, pressing my lips against his. Derek returned the kissed quietly, before we washed each other silently.

By the time we were done, the water fell cold and Derek and I stepped out. I patted myself dry with a thick white towel, my eyes falling onto my reflection in the mirror.

A flushed, happy girl smiled back at me and the lips curved even more upon seeing the reflection. Derek stood behind me and his eyes met mine in the reflection, before he gave a small smile of his own.


	50. Gut Feeling

**WEDNESDAY  
** **AUGUST 29, 2011**

I sighed before taking a sip of my water bottle. I needed to be fully hydrated before we ran for the first practice of the season.

My hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and I was dressed comfortably in a pair of running shorts, a tank top, with a sports bra underneath. We were going to start of light – only three miles, and since we weren't timed, it was just used so we were able to pace ourselves correctly without dying.

I moved to recycle my empty water bottle, when the wind picked up, and a familiar scent of sandalwood fill my nostrils, along with the unique scent that filled me with a sense of warmth and protectiveness.

I smiled brightly, walking towards the direction of the scent.

**JENNIFER BLAKE**

I sighed heavily, closing the door shut. Whoever was following me better not be one of the Alphas.

I whirled around, and screamed when I saw the figure, my heart racing. I grabbed a nearby stick, playing the role of the scared, defenseless human. "What do you want?" I demanded in the best shaky voice I could muster. "You gonna threaten me? Tell me that no one's gonna believe me? Try to scare me? Kill me?"

There was no way this werewolf was going to kill me. And I'd  _hate_  to kill him, since he was just  **so**  handsome.

I mustered the best innocent face I could and he stepped forward before saying, "I was gonna see if you were okay."

"Physically or emotionally?" I asked. Then I started to stammer like I've seen those human girls do when they were nervous, "Although, I guess that presupposes I was emotionally okay before any of this, and according to my therapist," I sighed shakily, "i – it's been debatable for a long time."

He smirked briefly before he took the stick from me, saying, "I think you're gonna be okay."

I looked at him, admiring the way his dark shirt clung to the firm muscles I knew he had. I'd had a glimpse of them when he helped me up the other day.

"Obviously, you've never taught high school," I quipped.  _Ugh_. So disgusting. "In twenty minutes, I have to start two dozen teenagers on  _The Crucible_ , and I honestly have no idea what I'm gonna say."

"Well, why don't you start by telling them that it's an allegory for McCarthyism?" he suggested simply.

"… Is that a subtle way of suggesting that I shouldn't say anything? Because I won't," I said. He made a step towards me and I backed away. He handed me back my stick and opened the door.

"Who are you?" I asked before he could leave fully.

He looked back at me and replied simply, "I'm Derek." He moved to continue walking.

"Jennifer!" I exclaimed eagerly. It would be fantastic to have him on my side – especially since he handled those two rabid werewolves the other night. Judging by his fast healing I had seen, he was definitely an Alpha. Plus, he had a cute butt.

He paused briefly, and I moved to ask him out, but was cut off by a bell-like voice exclaiming happily, "Derek!"

I watched as Derek stepped out of the room fully, just in time to catch a body launching right towards him. I resisted the urge to break the stick as the body pulled back to reveal that Stilinski girl from my one of my English classes.

According to her student files, she was a perfect 4.0 student, captain of the cross country team, and medic of the lacrosse team. Well-liked and well-known. But for strange reason, she didn't hang out with anyone other than her brother and that Scott McCall... and occasionally Allison Argent and Lydia Martin.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, beaming up at him as her thin yet toned arms circled around Derek's waist.

His arms circled around her upper back, and I realized they were in a relationship. I wonder if she knew of his supernatural abilities. Something struck to me that she did – her brother didn't go insane and screamed like the rest of the class did when those birds flew into the classroom that first day.

Yeah, he was shocked, but not overly panicking, but rather – assessing the situation.

I'd have to look into her more. She's not fully human... I can feel it.

"I was just checking on your teacher," Derek responded, nodding his head in my direction. Sindy peered into the classroom and saw me, nodding a greeting towards me before turning to look up at the man.

I watched as his eyes scanned her, taking in her thin robin egg blue tank top and short, black running shorts, causing her cheeks to grow a light pink.

So he liked the innocent type, huh? Well, I'll play the part to a  _T_ , and then… then he'll be putty in my hands.

**SINDY STILINSKI**

I blushed under Derek's gaze as he took in my clothing. "You're going to run in  _that_?" he asked.

"It covers just as much as the cross country uniform does when we compete," I replied, wrinkling my nose.  _Man_ , it was kind of itchy. I rubbed it with the back of my finger. "How's Cora?" She and Boyd had awaken yesterday, and I drove Boyd home while letting Derek catch up with his sister.

"She's fine," Derek nodded. "Stubborn, too." I could see the slight annoyance in his eyes. "She should be taking it easy."

"Sounds like someone I know~" I teased, grinning up at him.

He quirked an eyebrow and looked at me with a,  _"You should be talking"_  look on his face. My nose twitched again, but this time, I felt a wave of malice. Derek tensed, too, feeling it.

My eyes darted to where it was, but I only saw Miss Blake standing there, looking at me with a surprised expression.

"Is – is this the boyfriend you were telling me about?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. It didn't escape my notice the way her eyes flashed with lust before blinking and going innocent.

I pursed my lips, not having a good feeling around her.

"You were telling your teacher about me?" Derek asked, making me turn to him.

I rolled my eyes and said, "She caught you driving away with my car and was going to report you for ditching school. I had to say that you weren't a student and it just slipped that I said you were my boyfriend."

Derek nodded quietly, before I noticed the clock on the wall. " _Agh_ ," I groaned. "I need to head to the locker room to talk to Scott. He said he needed to tell me something." I gave him a look that said I'd share with him later if it involved the Alphas, and Derek gave a small hum of confirmation, understanding what I was saying.

He grabbed my hand and I gave a quick wave to Miss Blake before he walked me to the boys' locker room.

The walk was all too short, and when I looked up at him, he bent down, kissing me softly. "Stay safe," he said, and I knew he had sensed the twins inside.

I nodded, smiling up at him before entering the locker room, once again unfazed by the changing boys. It's not like they were fully naked or anything.

"About time," Stiles sighed. "What kept you? You just said you were gonna take some air."

"I ran into Derek," I replied, and I watched as my brother's face scrunch up. " _No_. We just talked for a little bit and he walked me here. God, you make it sound like I have to have sex with him on every surface possible with him."

"Um, first,  _ew_ ," Stiles scrunched up his nose in disgust. "And second, I still haven't gotten over the trauma from this summer, okay? Put a sock on the doorknob or something next time."

"I'm not gonna do that!" I exclaimed. "Why don't you  _knock_  next time?"

"Um... guys," Scott piped in, and I could see how awkward he looked. Then I remembered his reaction to see me having sex with Derek and I shuffled. It was just a regular, straight, teenaged guy's reaction, but it was still weird. "I need to tell you guys something, remember?"

"Go for it," Stiles waved.

"Okay, so I was working at the animal clinic yesterday, and this guy, Kyle, showed up. He's a senior here and his dog swallowed some mistletoe, so we had to make it puke up what it ate."

At the mention of induced vomiting, I said, "That's a lovely story and all, but... is there a point?"

Scott rolled his eyes at me, making me send him a defiant look, before he continued, "So Kyle and Bullet – that's the dog's name – left, but then a few minutes later, I heard some barking and ran out to just to see Bullet running towards me. The dude was just gone. I looked everywhere. It's like he just walked away. Left his car, his dog."

"Okay," Stiles nodded, putting on a think jacket. "Was he – like, could he have been a virgin, maybe?" Stiles pushed. "Did he look like a virgin? Was he – you know –  _virginal_?"

I gave my best "what the fuck?" face to my brother I could muster, but his expression was dead serious as he looked at our best friend.

"No, definitely not," Scott said. "Deaton makes me have sex with all of his clients. It's a new policy." I stifled a laugh as I grabbed my own thin jacket from Scott's locker. It was always easier to keep my things in their lockers since I was in here more than the girls' anyway.

Stiles's face deadpanned while Scott chuckled, but then seeing my brother deadly serious, we exchanged looks before sighing heavily.

"No," Scott admitted. "I don't know if he was a virgin. And why are you talking like he's already dead? He's just missing."

"Missing and presumed  _dead_  because he's probably a virgin, Scott, Sindy. And you know who else is a virgin? Me. I'm a virgin, okay?" my brother ranted. "And you know what that means? It means that my lack of sexual experience is now literally a threat to my life. Okay, I need to have sex, like, right now. Someone needs to have sex with me, like,  _today_. Like, someone needs to sex me right  _now_!"

Stiles slammed his locker shut and Danny turned to us, saying, "All right, I'll do it."

Stiles let out a scream, whirling around to see the lacrosse goalie. Seeing it was just Danny, he straightened up and asked, "… What?"

I placed a fist over my mouth to keep me from bursting out laughing. I could see the mischievous twinkle in Danny's eyes as he looked at be briefly before turning to my brother, "Come to my place at nine. Plan to stay the night. I like to cuddle."

"Oh–" Stiles turned to look at Scott and I before turning back to Danny.  _Wow_. I questioned my company when the two didn't get it at all. "That was so sweet," Stiles said, flattered. "Are you kidding?"

"Yes, I'm  _kidding_ ," Danny sighed, and I let out a bark of laughter. He gave me an eye roll as he passed me and I gave him a small high five.

"Okay, you know, you don't toy with a guy's emotions like that, Danny," Stiles scolded after the retreating back of the boy. "It's not attractive, all right?"

"Mr. Lahey!" Coach exclaimed and I glanced up to see the Beta entering. "Happy to have you back.  _Not happy_  that you're late."

"Sorry, coach."

"I'll remind you all, cross-country is  _not_  optional for lacrosse players. I don't need you turning into a bunch of fat asses in the off-season," Coach said, and I turned to Isaac and Danny, who had their shirts off.  _Really, Coach?_  Look at how ripped they are. Coach apparently noticed as well and cleared his throat, "So work on that."

We all gathered with the rest of the team and walked to the dirt trail. I could feel the twins right behind me and glanced over my shoulder to look at them. I glared at them warningly and they smirked, eyes flashing red briefly before walking past me, not even touching me.

They walked over to where Isaac was tying his shoelaces. I could feel their cockiness rolling off in waves and moved to warn Isaac, when the whistle sounded.

I snarled gently under my breath – having to take off to lead the entire team. I used my hearing to listen and felt a brush of wind pass by me. The twins quickly overtook me, and I scowled before hearing rapid footsteps behind me.

Isaac blew past me and I cried out, "Isaac, wait!" but it fell to deaf ears as the curly haired boy chased the Alphas. I let out a huff and sped up, hoping to God nothing too bad was going to happen.

I couldn't speed up too much, seeing as others had picked up the speed upon seeing me run off. I turned around the corner first and then tapped into my supernatural speed, kicking off to find the twins and Isaac.

I heard breathing right behind me and knew Scott was right there.

"Ethan, I always forget, how many homes in the human body?" I heard Aiden ask as I got closer. The two were holding Isaac back, and the twins smirked.

"I don't know," Ethan responded. "Let's count."

Immediately, Scott and I launched towards the twins. I punched Aiden in the face while Scott did the same to Ethan.

I flexed my fist as Scott and I responded, "That's one."

The two Alphas got up quickly and growled at us, roaring at us threateningly as they partially transformed.

I roared right back at them, stepping forward to make sure Scott and Isaac were a little bit behind me. I was the Alpha here.

" _AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"_  I heard an ear-piercing screech.

My eyes widened – along with the other four werewolves, and I pivoted my heels.  _Stiles._  I could smell Stiles in that direction.

As I got closer and closer. I could smell it. I could sense it – and it sent a bone-chilling shiver down my spine. The scent of blood.  _And lots of it._

I skidded to a stop next to Stiles, quickly scanning him for injuries. Upon seeing there were none, I turned to look at what everyone was staring at in shock.

"It's him, isn't it?" Stiles asked Scott. Scott was silent, but it was all the confirmation we needed.

A few minutes later, Dad came rushing, yelling, "Get out of the way. Get back. Get this area cordoned off before they trample every piece of evidence."

Deputy Tara spread her arms and ordered, "Back up! Everyone  _back_!"

"Get these kids out of here!" It was an absolute mess. My nose was stinging from the metallic scent, and if I never smelled blood again – it'd be too soon.

I clenched my fists tightly. This was only the beginning, too.

Stiles rushed to Dad, hoping to explain that it was the same pattern. I could hear Coach trying to clear the area, and normally, I'd laugh at the dumb excuse, but someone was dead here – and I realized we couldn't do anything to stop it.

This was the fourth murder.

I spotted movement from the corner of my eye, seeing Ethan and Aiden exchanged confused, but knowing looks. I narrowed my eyes and walked off, with Scott, Stiles, and Isaac right behind me.

"You see the way the twins looked at him?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah, you mean like they had no idea what happened?" Stiles suggested.

"No," Isaac shook his head. "No, they knew."

"They knew but didn't at the same time," I cut in. "They didn't do it… but I have a feeling they know who or  _what_  is behind it.

"What the hell is  _that_  supposed to mean?" Stiles asked, looking at me, confused. "The kid was strangled with a garrote, all right? Am I the only one recognizing the lack of werewolf-itude in these murders?"

Isaac butt in, "Oh, you think it's a coincidence  _they_  turn up and then people start  _dying_?!"

"Well, no, but I still don't think it's them," Stiles piped in.

I stopped walking and thought deeply. The Alphas showed up four months ago, though. Right after the mess with Jackson. Why wait four months? There wasn't any special ritual or anything going on.

"-dy!" I heard. "Sindy!" A hand snapped in front of me and I turned to the owner, seeing Stiles's face look at me. "Wanna share what's going on that brain of yours?"

"The Alphas showed up four months ago," I replied. "I don't think it's them, but they  _definitely_  know something. The way Ethan and Aiden looked… they  _knew_  who was behind it. They're not the only threat that arrived here."

"What are you saying? Is this gonna be the whole 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' thing? Because I don't think whoever's killing them is our  _friend_ ," Stiles stressed the last word.

"That's not what I'm saying," I said. I drew a triangle with my feet in the pile of dead leaves and dirt. "There's three parties. Us, the Alphas, and whoever's doing the killings. There's the Alphas versus us. And there's whoever's killing versus the Alphas. It's only a matter of time before we encounter whoever this serial killer is. We're fighting a war on two fronts."

Isaac and Stiles were quiet for a second, before reluctantly nodding, agreeing with my theory, though… I seriously hoped it wasn't right. We have a  _pack_  of Alphas on our asses. Could we really fight who was doing these cold-blooded murders as well?

"Scott?" I turned to him. "Your thoughts?"

"I don't know yet," Scott admitted.

Stiles looked at our best friend blankly. "You don't know yet," he repeated dully.

"Well, he's got a point," Scott pointed to Isaac. "Seriously, dude,  _human sacrifices_?" He looked at Stiles in disbelief.

"Scott, your eyes turn into yellow glow sticks,  _okay_? Hair  _literally_  grows from your cheeks and then will immediately disappear, and if I were to stab you  _right now_ , it would just  _magically_  heal, but you're telling me that you're having trouble grasping  **human sacrifices**?"

Scott looked pointedly at Isaac. "That's a good point, too."

 _What was the whole point of them asking for my opinion when they're just arguing about whether Stiles or Isaac was right?_  I mentally sighed in my head. I wouldn't be surprised if they whipped out rulers to measure the size of their dicks – though… I really don't want that visual.

My face soured briefly before Isaac interjected, "I don't care. They killed that kid, they killed the girl that saved me." He turned away, declaring, "And I'm gonna kill them, too," before storming away.

We all walked back to school, and I got changed into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. I walked to my first class of the day – French, which wasn't all too exciting.

I still couldn't understand why Ms. Morrell was there that now. I also couldn't comprehend just  _why_  she was working with the Alphas.

I sat quietly in the back, and just before the bell rang, Allison slipped into the seat behind me, as it was the only seat left. I quietly sat there, remembering a conversation I had on Sunday with Isaac, following the day after Boyd and Cora's wild rampage.

 **SUNDAY  
** **AUGUST 19, 2011**

 _My finger moved off Patch's scar and the connection broke. It took me a moment to reorient myself, so I wasn't ready for Patch, who wrestled me into the bed in an instant. He pinned my wrists above my head.  
_ " _You weren't supposed to do that." There was controlled anger in his face, dark and simmering. "What did you see?"  
_ _I got my knee up and clipped him in the ribs. "Get – off – me!"  
_ _He slid onto my hips, straddling them, eliminating the use of my legs. With my arms still stretched above my head, I couldn't do more than squirm under his weight.  
_ " _Get – off – me – or – I'll – scream!"  
_ " _You're already screaming. And it isn't going to cause a stir in this place. It's more of a whorehouse than a motel." He gave a hard smile that was all lethality around the edges. "Last chance, Nora. What did you see?"  
_ _I was fighting back tears. My whole body hummed with an emotion so foreign I couldn't even name it.  
_ " _You make me sick!" I said. "Who are you? Who are you really?"  
_ _His mouth turned even more grim. "We're getting closer."  
_ " _You want to kill me!"  
_ _Patch's face gave away nothing, but his eyes grew cold.  
_ " _The Jeep didn't really die tonight, did it?" I said. "You lied. You brought me here so you could kill me. That's what Dabria said you want to do. Well, what are you waiting for?" I didn't have a clue where I was going with this, and I didn't care. I was spitting words in an attempt to keep my horror at bay.  
_ " _You've been trying to kill me all along. Right from the start. Are you going to kill me now?" I stared at him, hard and unblinking, trying to keep tears from spilling as I remembered the fateful day he'd walked into my life.  
_ " _It's tempting."  
_ _I twisted beneath him. I tried to roll to my right, then to my left. I finally figured out I was wasting a lot of energy and stopped. Patch settled his eyes on me. They were blacker than I'd ever seen them._

The sound of footsteps pulled me from my book, and I glanced up to see Isaac standing at my doorway a bit awkwardly. "Stiles let me in before leaving," he informed.

I smiled, slipping a bookmark in my book before closing it, placing it on my nightstand. "C'mon in," I invited, sitting up. I patted the foot of my bed, and Isaac sat down on it a bit hesitatingly. I furrowed my brows, confused. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but… this is the first time you're here."

"I know," Isaac said, a line forming with his lips. "I…" he sighed heavily. "I have something to say, about two nights ago."

I arched a brow, pulling my knees to my chest as I focused on the boy. He was a bit hesitant, but when I reached out, placing a hand on his arm, he visibly relaxed under my touch. I smiled softly and said, "You can tell me anything, Isaac."

"After you chased Boyd and Cora off the roof, I was following them, but I was losing them – fast," Isaac admitted. I nodded, not understanding what he was really saying, but I was hoping he'd elaborate.

Isaac didn't disappoint me, and told me, "Just before I could lose them, though, there was this bright light. And then another. And then another. I looked up to see Allison shooting arrows at Boyd and Cora, directing them towards the school."

"You mean Allison helped us out that night?" I asked, an image of Scott's ex-girlfriend popping into my head.

Isaac nodded. "Yeah. It was because of her I was able to get them locked up inside the school."

"And what'd Allison say?"

"She didn't say anything," Isaac told me. "She looked at me, her eyes widened, and she ran off. Do you… Do you think we can trust her?"

I sighed softly, running my hand through my locks. "I don't know," I admitted. "Chris really helped us out that night, but I wouldn't count on him to be my tag-team partner." I pursed my lips and said, "What she did to Derek… to Scott… to Boyd… to Erica… to you… I – I can never forget that. You guys mean everything to me."

I reached out, stroking his cheek like I was cradling my child, and to an extent – Isaac was just like that. He leaned into my gentle touch, looking at me with the eyes of a lost, forlorn child who could barely remember what parental love was.

"You guys are my family," I declared. "And I'll  _ **always**_  protect you and be by your side."

Isaac gave me a wry smile and said, "I'd have you as my tag-team partner."

I gave a small laugh and removed my hand from his face. "Did you tell Derek or Scott?"

"No," Isaac admitted, shaking his head. "I thought it was best to keep it to myself, but… I needed someone's opinion, and I knew you would give me one."

"Scott or Derek would've given one just fine, as well," I remarked.

"Scott would've immediately said to trust Allison," Isaac said. "And Derek would say not to. You… Despite your feelings, you would do what's right, wouldn't you? That's why you stood against us killing Lydia last year."

"I wouldn't say that," I frowned, stretching my legs behind Isaac's back. I placed my hands on my knees and said, "I make my decisions based on what's best for the people I love. I love you guys and I love Stiles, but when it comes down to it, Stiles can't protect himself from werewolves with super-strength and sharp teeth and claws. I knew you guys would be able to handle yourselves, but if Stiles was caught in the crossfire, he wouldn't have the ability to heal like we would."

The thought of my brother suffering was just sickening and left a horrible pit in my stomach.

"So I chose Stiles over you guys," I said, "because I'd never hurt you enough to kill or permanently damage you and you would hopefully do the same." I knew they wouldn't hurt me if they could prevent it, but chose not to say it. "But in this fight? There's no choice to make. The  **only**  option is with you guys."

"Hey, Sindy?"

"Hm?"

"You know, you'd make a great mom someday. So, thanks…  _Mom_." I couldn't keep the smile off my face and neither could Isaac.

 **WEDNESDAY  
** **AUGUST 29, 2011**

I repeated after Ms. Morrell dully, pondering if I should give Allison another chance. She  _did_  help my pack out and seemed full of redemption. I clenched my jaw as Ms. Morrell walked down the aisle, and I decided I'd give Allison another shot.

Ms. Morrell stopped beside me, but only because she was talking to Allison. " _Mademoiselle_?" she asked in French. " _Mademoiselle Argent_?" I heard Allison sit up. " _Es-tu fatiguée_?"

"Sorry," Allison apologized, just before the bell rang. Ms. Morell stepped aside for me to leave after I gathered my books, and I walked out the door. However, instead of walking to my next class, I decided to listen in on what Ms. Morrell had to say.

"You're starting to concern me, Allison," she said. "Maybe we should chat in the guidance office sometime."

"Or maybe you should tell me what you were doing at the bank the other night," Allison quipped.

"Maybe  _you_  should tell me what  _you_  were doing there. Looks like we have a situation here. Tell you what: give me the French word for it that's the same in English and you can avoid lunchtime detention."

"Um…"

"Impasse."

I furrowed my brows.  _Not a passing_? A stalemate? What does she mean by that?

"Sindy?" a voice asked, and I looked up to see Scott standing there, looking down at me. "What are you doing? Last time I checked, you kind of had to  _walk_  to class." He threw me a smirk and I rolled my eyes.

"Just for that," I said, shoving my books into Scott's chest. "You're carrying my books," I informed him. I began to walk away, and I heard Scott lightly speed-walk to catch up to me. "I was listening to what Ms. Morrell had to say to Allison," I informed him.

"She was there at the bank the other night," Scott realized.

I nodded. "I was hoping I could hear something about  _why_ , but all I got was a word."

"What word?" Scott questioned, looking down at me.

" _Impasse_ ," I repeated, causing the brunet's eyebrows to furrow, confused. "It literally means 'not a passing.' Basically a stalemate."

"Why would she say that?"

"I've no idea," I replied truthfully, entering Harris's class. "Maybe I'm just overthinking it…" I sighed heavily, sitting down in a desk. "But there's just so many things missing…" I bit my lower lip, brows furrowing as I clasped my hands together to bring them over my lips. My leg began to vibrate as I shook it up and down against the stool I sat on, anxiety climbing through every nerve I had.

"Hey," Scott said gently, placing a hand over my closed ones, and he gently placed it down on the lab table. Slowly, my vibrating stopped and I looked up at Scott. "We'll figure it out," Scott reassured me.

I don't know why, but I was feeling  **highly**  anxious and high-strung today. I couldn't stop the unsettling feeling that crawled into the pit of my stomach either as I thought about Derek.

Something was very,  **very** ,  _very_ ,  _ **very**_  wrong. I clenched my hands into tight fists, but Scott gently pried my hands away.

"I don't know what's going on," I whispered softly. "I can't shake this feeling I have. It's so nerve-wracking and I feel like my head's about to explode, my stomach's swallowed by a black hole, and puke all at once."

Scott looked at me with a troubled face and I vaguely noted Allison walking in. She glanced and saw Scott focusing on me and turned away quickly. A few seconds later, Stiles and Isaac walked in.

Stiles took one look at me, and dashed over, most likely seeing my troubled face.

"Hey," he said, looking at me. He turned to Scott and asked, "What's going on?"

"I – I – I don't know," Scott responded, squeezing my hand while Stiles held my other. "She's been feeling like this since I met up with her in front of her French class."

"You okay?" Isaac looked at me with concern.

My face soured as my gut clenched like someone just struck a giant metal pole through me. It was a horrible feeling but I couldn't shake it.

"Everyone, take your seats," Mr. Harris instructed.

Stiles and Isaac looked reluctant too, but I said quietly, "I – I'll be fine. Just… sit down. If I feel worse, I promise I'll try to go home, okay?"

Isaac pushed, "You think it has something to do with the twins?" A soft growl erupted from his chest and I could see specks of gold in his eyes.

"Isaac," I said firmly, and I saw the color fading away. "I'll be fine," I said, looking at all three wary faces. " _Really_. Trust me."

Stiles and Scott released my hands and they sighed, defeated. Scott leaned forward in his seat and situated himself at his side of the desk a bit more before Isaac sat down.

"They're here for a reason," Scott tried to soothe Isaac, who was absolutely tense. "Give me a chance to figure it out before you do anything. Okay?" When he received no response, he pushed, "Isaac?"

I felt a presence outside the classroom and tensed. Isaac did, too because he abruptly sat up, "Mr. Harris, can I use the bathroom, please?" The boy was excused and Scott stood up nervously.

"I have to go to the bathroom, too," he declared.

"One at a time," Mr. Harris pointed out.

"But I  _really_  have to go," Scott pushed. "Like, medical emergency have to go."

"Mr. McCall, if your bladder suddenly exploded and urine began to pour from every orifice, I would still respond, 'One at a time,'" Mr. Harris quipped. Even his sarcastic remarks did nothing to me. I was seconds away from puking blood.

I tensed as I heard a grunt and then a soft thud. Then I heard a crash and then a heavy thud before I stood up quickly, seeing Mr. Harris's attention get caught.

"What is this?" Mr. Harris demanded. "What's going on?"

Danny rushed over to Ethan and asked, "You all right?"

"Uh…" Ethan groaned, all bloodied up. "He just – he just came at me."

"Isaac, what the hell did you do?" Mr. Harris demanded. I snarled under my breath, and I could see Ethan's triumphant look on his face.

Isaac was assigned detention, and we waited not-so-patiently for the bell to ring. When it did, Stiles and Isaac hopped onto their feet, immediately standing over me.

I looked up at them and said, "I said I felt bad, not that I'm helpless." I gathered my books and stood up. "Okay, so remember how I said there's three parties now?"

The three boys nodded.

"I think it's best if we split up and deal with them separately," I bit my lip. "We have to handle the sacrifices  _and_  the Alphas. And…" I rubbed my abdomen gently, still unable to shake the feeling. "Right now, I'm doing all I can to knock kick the twins' asses."

"I'll handle the sacrifices," Stiles jumped in. "I have some lead… I'll try to follow it and then tell you guys what's up. You guys handle the twins."

"Be careful, Stiles," I warned.

"I should be telling you that," Stiles quipped. He leaned down, kissing me on the cheek before all but running out of the room.

With that, Scott, Isaac, and I left the room. Isaac was still fuming from his encounter with the Alpha twins.

"Don't let it bother you," Scott advised as we turned the corner. "It's just lunchtime detention. If all they want right now is to piss you off, then don't give in. They're just trying to get to you."

"It's not just me," Isaac quipped as he opened his locker. I followed his gaze and saw he was looking around the hallway… right where Aiden was flirting with Lydia.

I could hear their conversation, and scowled. Now they were bringing in Lydia? I could hear Lydia quietly accept Aiden's offer before strutting away.

Aiden looked away from Lydia's retreating figure, giving us a smirk. I scowled and said curtly, "I'm going to my locker."

I pivoted my heel, and walked off, the heels of my boots clacking against the tiled floor.

It didn't take me long to reach my locker, and I spun my combination before all but throwing my locker door open.

"Wow, someone's got a temper," I heard a voice drawl. I scowled, turned to look at the irritating face of Ethan.

"Oh, I'll show you a temper," I threatened, slamming my locker shut. I pointed a finger at his chest and said, "If you harm  _ **one hair**_  on  **anyone**  in my pack, you'll be answering to  **me**."

A dark chuckle flowed behind me and I turned to see Aiden swaggering towards us. "Spoken like a true Alpha Female," Aiden drawled. "You're  _way_  better than Kali. Why don't you join us instead?" He played with the strands of my brown locks and I slapped his hand away. "Feisty," he commented casually.

I reigned in my anger and took deep, heavy breaths, clenching and unclenching my fists. I shoved the twins away and warned them, "You fucking touch  _any_  of them and I can assure you that you'll see  **just**  what an Alpha Female can do."

I stormed off, walking down the hallways, determined to get away from them before I moved to beat them both to a pulp.

On my way, I walked past Stiles, and grabbed his arm. "Whoa!" I exclaimed, spinning him so I could look at him. "What happened to your face?" I demanded, pulling him down by the collar to get a better look at his swelling cheek.

"I was… kind of insensitive towards Kyle's girlfriend and asked if her if Kyle was a virgin or not," Stiles mumbled.

"Oh, Stiles," I said, placing a hand gently on his cheek. I angled us so the back of my hand was facing the lockers, and I breathed slowly. I watched as the veins on my arms grew black, as I took away his pain.

When I pulled my hand away, Stiles rubbed his cheek gently. "You didn't have to do that."

I leaned up, kissing Stiles's uninjured cheek. "I don't like seeing you in pain. Remember, be careful Stiles. The  _second_  you feel like you're in danger, you  **call me**."

"I know, I know," Stiles nodded. He leaned down, kissing my cheek, before darting off to who-knows-where. My brother could never sit still.

I smiled softly for the first time in what felt like hours (and it probably was… I vaguely remembered only smiling in the locker room just before our run).

However, it was wiped off when a sick feeling washed over me, and I could feel it: terror, despair, helplessness.

"Isaac," I whispered, remembering this feeling and darted off, trying to find him. I almost crashed into Scott in the hallway as I rounded a corner and we flew up the stairs, tracking down Isaac.

I followed the despair – coupled with Allison's cries – to a room that was covered by a vending machine. I growled and grabbed the machine, tossing it aside while Scott stormed in the room.

Scott threw Isaac on the ground and I ran inside the closet, helping a shaky Allison up. "Are you okay?" I asked. Allison nodded and I helped the taller girl stand up.

We walked out of the room and I let Scott take my place as I dropped to my knees, sliding over to a shaky Isaac, who was apologizing profusely.

"Isaac," I said softly, and he backed away into the wall, still mumbling apologies. I had to admit, it hurt to see him back away from my comforting. "Isaac," I said again, pushing his hands away and cradled his face. "Isaac, look at me," I instructed, and I saw his blue eyes look up at me, framed by his long lashes. "Isaac, it wasn't your fault. It's not your fault."

"I guess now we know they want to do more than get you angry," Scott said quietly, and Isaac leaned into my touch. I cradled him softly. While he had stopped talking, I could still feel him shaking. I shushed him soothingly, running my hands through his sweaty, curly locks. "They want to get someone hurt."

Isaac turned to look up at Scott and asked, "So are we gonna do something?"

"Yeah," Scott nodded. "I'm gonna get them angry.  _ **Really**_  angry."

We ditched our second to last class of the day in order to get the plan in motion. Thankfully, I knew a little thing or two about bikes, and so did Allison, so we worked together. She would hot wire one of the bikes while I took apart the other.

Once I was done dismantling one of the bikes, I handed the parts to Scott, who shoved them into his backpack. "C'mon," he said, grabbing my hand. "Let's get to class." He threw me a mischievous smirk, making me will a small smile to appear and we took off before we were late.

Scott and I arrived just in time. Miss Blake threw us an exasperated look and waited for us to take our seats. Just before we sat down, Scott gave me a thumbs up before we broke away.

I made sure to sit down on Aiden's side while Scott sat down next to Ethan. Scott slowly began to pull out the gears I had dismantled and he commented casually, "That looks kind of important." He held up another and replied, "I have  _no idea_  what this thing does."

I could see Aiden seething, and then the sound of a motor revving made me smirk. Aiden tossed me a dirty look before standing up, darting out of the class, despite his brother's protests.

The revving got louder and louder and I darted out of the room, with the rest of the class following me. I skidded to a stop just in time to have Isaac walk towards me. I extended a hand and he slapped it while Aiden glared angrily at us as students began to pour into the hallway.

"You have  _got_  to be kidding me," Jennifer exclaimed. "You realize this is gonna result in a suspension." I didn't bother hiding my laugh and held my hands up. Isaac and Scott slapped it before I extended it towards Allison.

She looked at my hand in shock and I gave her a small smile. She gently slapped it and I crossed my arms.

Later on, Scott, Isaac and I were walking. The boys were laughing about the twins' pissed off faces, but I still had that heavy gut feeling. It had stopped feeling like there was something lodged in between, but… it still felt…  _not right_.

"They looked seriously pissed?" Isaac laughed.

"Yeah," Scott nodded in agreement as we turned down the hallway. I paused in my steps to see the twins standing there. "… Kind of like that."

I watched as they stripped off their shirts and my eyes widened, seeing them fuse together. Isaac threw his bag down on the ground and he rolled up his sleeves. "We can take him," he declared.

Suddenly, I realized I was  _way_  in over my head by threatening them both and Scott and I exchanged looks. We nodded while Scott yelled, "Are you kidding?! Isaac!"

I darted off with the two right behind me, but when I didn't hear their footsteps, I whirled around. I saw both Isaac and Scott being lifted up by the twins easily, and I snarled, my claws and fangs elongating.

"Let them go," I growled, before charging at them.

The twins, however, simply roared, and I found myself whacked with Isaac's legs. I landed against the lockers with a heavy  _thud_  and groaned in pain.

It was then I felt a light tapping sound, and saw a man walking towards the twins. They disconnected, and they stoically stood there before their faces were scratched.

"Who the hell was that?" Isaac asked.

"Deucalion," Scott declared.

I noticed a piece of paper next to me and picked it up quietly. I unfolded it and read the writing on it:

_Unless you want your pack to be attacked, meet in the forest in ten minutes._


	51. Encounter

**WEDNESDAY  
** **AUGUST 29, 2011**

I walked into the woods, the leaves crunching beneath me as I took slow, wary steps. I was completely on my guard as my eyes scanned my surroundings.

I tried to hear anything, but all I could actually get were the sounds of small woodland creatures and my own footsteps.

And then I heard it.

It popped out of nowhere, and I could hear the wind be disrupted by it. I rolled out of the way just in time to dodge a kick flying at me and an instinctive growl erupted from my throat, feeling my claws and fangs grow. My vision became clearer just as I jumped up, catching the leg that was swung at me.

"Moves just like him, too," Kali commented casually before shaking her leg free, landing a few feet away from me.

I crouched on the ground, my torso parallel to it as I glowered at Kali, my vision focused and honed in on her and her alone.

Another growl snapped me away from her and before I could react, I found myself flying through there air after a powerful pressure hit me. I hit a tree trunk with a heavy thud and landed on the ground, barely catching myself before I could face plant.

If I was still a human, that would've left me in the ICU.

I glowered at Ennis, who had arrived, and the twins stepped out from behind a few trunks, eyes flashing a dangerous red. They grew closer and closer to me, and I realized that I was surrounded.

I crouched down defensively, baring my teeth. I was seconds away from howling, when a familiar, dull tapping sound filled the air, and the four Alphas that were closing in on me took a step back, standing up straighter.

Kali and Ennis stepped aside, and I watched as Deucalion stepped into the pathway, his walking stick stopping right in front of me. Cautiously, I stood up straighter, but still kept my claws and fangs out just in case.

"What do you want?" I demanded, looking from Deucalion to Ennis to Kali to Ethan to Aiden.

"Come now, Sindy," Deucalion said in a too-relaxed tone. "We only want to talk."

"I suppose jumping at me from behind the trees is the  _definition_  of talking," I snarked, and the corner of the blind man's lips twitched.

"Yes, I suppose Kali does get a bit…  _excited_ ," Deucalion admitted. "But after all, it's not every day I meet a True Mate, is it? A powerful, growing Alpha Female. Yes…" Even though I was pretty sure he was blind, it almost felt like his eyes were seeing right through me behind those dark sunglasses of his.

I stood up slightly straighter a bit and flexed my claws. "You said you wanted to talk," I said, taking a couple cautious steps back to maintain my distance. "Now  _talk_."

"Hm, looks like you're more willing to talk with us than your mate," Deucalion commented nonchalantly, and I could feel my eyes flicker with anger. What the hell did they do to Derek? Sensing my bubbling anger, the Alpha pushed. "Have I struck a nerve?"

"What did you do with Derek?" I demanded with a snarl. I remembered something and my head snapped to Kali. I growled under my breath and accused, "You said I fought just like him. You mean Derek." He was, after all, the one that taught me how to fight and fend for myself. There was no one I moved more like than him. "What did you do?" I repeated.

Kali smirked and cooed, "Looks like you have a good head on your shoulders. It'd be a pity to take it off." Her eyes flashed a dangerous red and I growled at the threat.

"Come now, Kali," Deucalion said. "I highly doubt you'll need to strike a metal pole through our little Sindy to get her to listen."

My hand immediately shot to my abdomen, right where I had felt that dull pain from earlier. A  _pole_? "That's what that pain was…" I muttered quietly in realization.

"Yes," Deucalion said, a satisfied smile on his face. "So it's true. Even far away, you can feel his pain. I wonder… how would he be able to handle taking  _your_  pain as well?"

My shoulders tensed and my eyes darted to make sure all the Alphas were still standing there. Good. No one had moved. There wasn't anyone sneaking up behind me.

"I promise that if you cooperate, Sindy, all that will happen is talking," Deucalion promised.

"No offense," I scoffed, when I  _totally_  meant offense, "but why should I trust you? How do I know you won't kill me?"

Deucalion sighed and straightened. "How boring," he drawled. "I don't understand why you would throw me in the same category as that sociopathic uncle Derek has. I just want to share with you a vision… a vision I have for a blind man." He took off his dark glasses, and I saw his blank, full red orbs stare back at me. "You see, I'm in the business of … taking in new talents. Talents such as yours," he gestured to my claws.

"Pass," I snapped.

"But I haven't even gotten to the proposal part, yet," Deucalion commented.

"Not. Interested," I punctuated each word. "I know what you did. How you killed your own pack members." It was absolutely foul to think that an Alpha would do that. To packs like us, a member was just like family. You would kill  _for_  them. Never kill them. It set an absolute horrible pit in my stomach just  _thinking_  if I could ever raise a hand against Isaac or Boyd or Derek…

"I'm not asking for you to turn on your mate," Deucalion said casually. "Just one of the members. Perhaps… Boyd, or Isaac. Yes. You have no need for them. Or maybe… maybe your human brother would do."

"You leave him  _out_  of this!" I snapped. I raised a hand a slammed it against the tree trunk, the wood and splinters flying everywhere. The Alphas behind Deucalion tensed, but was immediately stopped by the older man raising an arm to tell them to stay where they were.

"Just one, Sindy," Deucalion pushed. "And I assure you that you will feel  _free_." At that, the Alphas behind him smirked in. "You won't have to worry about young Betas getting in trouble. Wasn't it a hassle to try to calm Isaac down?"

"No," I snapped. "Isaac would  _never_  be a liability, because I care about him."

"But a pack is much stronger because of its members," Deucalion told me. "You see, when I lost my sight, one of my Betas assumed I was unfit for the role of an Alpha, and he attempted to steal my abilities. So I killed him to protect myself. But when I realized what I had done… I had realized… that I had become  _stronger_. More powerful than I could have ever been. I realized… that I could take the little parts and make one giant whole. Who's to say when you fall, one of your Betas won't try to steal your power? Everyone wants power. Do it now, while they're still weak. Do it now, and you'll be much stronger."

I tensed, feeling the overwhelming power that flowed out of Deucalion's body. It was almost suffocating - and my instincts were telling me to run.

But I couldn't move my legs. I couldn't do anything.

Looking at each individual Alpha, I realized that while I could probably take on Kali or Ennis in a fight that could leave me almost dead - there was  _no way_  I'd be able to fight the twins - who fused and merged to become one or Deucalion, who was undoubtedly the Alpha of the Alphas.

"I see you recognize who's the bigger one," Deucalion said, feeling the shift in my personality. Keeping a strong face, I snarled at him. "We could use you, though, Sindy. Join us… Join us and you won't have to worry about fighting to the death.  _I_  will protect you.  _We_  all will."

My body shook as I tried to reign in my overpowering emotions. Despair. Fear. Anger. The top three emotions I could feel right now. My blood pulsed in my veins, leaving me almost light-headed.

I took in a deep breath, inhaling the smell of nature, mixed with the scent of blood. I looked down at my hands, seeing the stained with my blood. The wounds were already beginning to heal, but there was no way to hide the blood that had leaked.

Blood-stained hands.

I clenched my fists again, and felt the blood smearing.

"Thanks," I said, looking up to meet Deucalion, who had put on his dark sunglasses. "But no thanks."

Deucalion pursed his lips, and I could feel his irritation, before he scoffed. "Very well, then." He pivoted his heel, and declared, "We're leaving."

The Alphas all exchanged looks, before following Deucalion out of the forest. I watched them walk away, and couldn't help but think that it was a little  _too_  easy. It wasn't as simple as that. They had undoubtedly hurt Derek, but left nothing but a healed bruise and the back of my shirt scratched up and dirty.

"Derek," I whispered, and took off towards my car.

I hastily pulled out my keys and almost crashed into my car as I skidded to a stop in front of it. It took a couple of tries for me to put the keys in ignition, and I slammed on the gas, peeling out of my parking spot and taking off, tires squealing loudly against the pavement.

I gnawed at my bottom lip as I practically pushed the gas to the floor, hoping to God that Derek was okay. Oh  _God_. Cora was there, too. What if she was hurt?

Barely remembering to pull my keys out, I slammed the door to my car shut and ran all the way up to the loft. I slid the door open, the slamming sound echoing off the walls as Derek and Cora looked up from where they were. Derek was all sweaty and was resting against the headboard while Cora was sitting by his bedside.

"Derek!" I exclaimed, running over to the siblings. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I turned to Cora and demanded, "Are  _you_  hurt?"

Cora blinked in astonishment and shook her head. "I'm fine… Derek, though…" She bit her lip, looking at her brother.

"I'm fine," Derek said, moving slightly, but then winced. "I'm still healing." Then he sniffed the air and his eyes widened. "Why do I smell your blood on you?"

I looked down at my hands, still red - albeit a lot more dry now. I grimaced when I realized that I'd have to clean my car before any questions were asked about why I had bloodstains on them. "The Alphas came after me. All five of them."

"What?" Derek demanded, his eyes scanning me quickly.

"They didn't hurt me, though," I replied, sitting down on the corner of Derek's bed, next to his head. Then I grimaced, remembering the particularly rough toss against the tree. "Much. Deucalion wanted to talk to me."

"He wants us to join him," Derek concluded. I nodded in agreement, confirming his thoughts. I brushed a sweaty lock out of Derek's forehead and nuzzled him softly. I purred gently, and he leaned into my touch as I took away some of his pain. "Don't…" he protested, but I just shushed him.

"I can take it," I insisted. As I gently placed Derek into my lap, I stroked his dark locks, turning to look at Cora. I examined her for any wounds and when I found none, I said, "The whole day… I felt this strange, gut-wrenching pain." Both Derek and Cora looked at me, and I gently stroked Derek's cheek. "I wanted to throw up so badly and I felt completely ill. It was like someone had wedged an entire pole through my body, twisting it."

"You felt his pain," Cora concluded, looking at me with unreadable brown eyes.

I felt Derek's hand clasp over mine, before squeezing it gently. "Yeah," I agreed, looking down at Derek before entwining my fingers with his.

Cora looked at me silently, and I could see the gears turning in my head. "You really love my brother."

I gave her a small smile and said, "That's kind of why I'm here." The black veins on my arm slowly faded away and Derek lifted my arm up, kissing the pulse on my wrist briefly.

Cora glanced down at her brother. "And you love her."

"Where are you going with this, Cora?" Derek asked, turning to look at her as he sat up slowly. The blanket fell down to reveal his naked torso to me, and even with the bloodstained bandage around his abdomen, he was still so beautiful.

"I just can't believe you have a mate," Cora said, looking from me to him. "And such a young one at that." She arched an eyebrow at me. I knew that Cora was around seventeen to twenty (in human years) - she was the baby of her family, and yet, I was younger than her. Derek was the eldest male in his family, and he was twenty-two going on twenty-three (once again, in human years).

I bit my bottom lip. I thought I was over the whole "age difference" issue between Derek and I. My brother accepted it. My father accepted it. My best friend accepted it. Everyone that mattered accepted it… except Cora, but in my defense, Derek thought she was dead.

"That's enough, Cora," Derek cut in sharply.

"I'm just stating a  _fact_ , Derek," Cora retorted to her older brother.

"So I'm younger than Derek," I shrugged, interrupting the quarreling siblings before it got into a full-blown fight. "So I'm younger than  _you_ ," I gestured to Cora. "Whatever. Even if you had any objections, it's a bit too late now."

"I know that," Cora replied quietly. "The second I woke up I knew. Derek's scent had changed, and then when you walked in, smelling  _exactly_  like him. I knew. I knew that he found a mate."

"She's not just a mate, Cora," Derek said, stroking me softly. I leaned into his touch, unable to stop the purr that erupted from my throat. "She's my True Mate."

Cora's jaw dropped and she echoed, " _True Mate_? I haven't heard that since we had to learn about them. I thought it was just an old tale."

"So did I," Derek muttered. "And that was probably why you felt so sick the entire day." He looked at me and I glanced up at him. He held my cheek in his hand and said, "Mates are able to feel a dull throb if their significant other gets hurt, and it should only be that much. It seems as though you're able to feel much more. Are you sure you're okay?"

I smiled at Derek and responded, "I'm perfect.  _You_  on the other hand, should get some rest so you can heal faster. Unless…" I furrowed my brows. "Should I lick it?" My nose wrinkled at the idea of tasting blood on any other part of Derek other than the crook of his neck - where I bit to stake my claim.

"It's fine," Derek refused, shaking his head softly. I glanced out of the large windows, and noticed the sun was setting outside. I had to get to Stiles soon to see what he dug up. It also looked like there was gonna be some rain tonight.

"I have to get back to Stiles soon," I announced. "Scott, Isaac, and I had a full on confrontation against the Alpha Twins earlier today throughout the entire school day. A kid was also killed, so Stiles decided to go do research on what's going on."

Derek nodded his head, and released me from his hold so I can stand up. I leaned down, giving Derek a swift peck on the cheek before saying, "Bye, Cora," and left the loft.

As I walked down to the ground floor, I bit my bottom lip. There were so many things going on that it made my head spin. I climbed into my car, avoiding touching my slightly stained door handle, and popped inside my car.

I dug into my bag and pulled out a water bottle, and then a couple napkins I kept in the glove compartment. Pouring water on the paper, I washed off my steering wheel briefly, before putting my things away and driving off.

As I drove home, the rain began to start, and I sighed heavily. It was pretty fitting for a day like this to have rain.

I parked next to Stiles's jeep and quickly grabbed my bag, making a dash for the front door. Throwing the door open, I quickly climbed up the stairs, making a beeline for my room.

I changed out of my school clothes, throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top. I was pulling down my shirt when Stiles threw open the door.

"Stiles!" I exclaimed. "I was changing!"

"Sorry," Stiles said briefly, but not apologetically. "So I found out what was going on."

"How?" I inquired, taking a seat on my bed.

Stiles plopped down on the foot of it, and explained, "I ditched English to see Deaton." I nodded mutely, crossing my legs as I waited for my brother to explain.

"Anyway, so I was doing some research on the symbols. Y'know, the triskeles, the bank logo, the Mountain ash… I found it all came from the Celtic druids. And if you look up human sacrifices, you'll find that the druids had a pretty big hard-on when it came to those. Anyway, I found out something about the Lindow Man. It's a 2,000 year old body found in England and he was found strangled, head bashed in, throat cut. The threefold death. Also, they found these weird pollen grains in his stomach. I'll give you three guesses as to what the favorite druid plant was."

"… Mistletoe?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"Exactly," Stiles nodded.

"So, is it a druid?" I furrowed my brows, confused.

"No," Stiles shook his head. "Deaton said druid means 'wise oak' in Gaelic and they kept things in balance. So anyway, Lydia called me and found out the music teacher was taken. I copied the sound file she had – I'll show you it later, need to finish the story – but anyways, I found out the next sacrificial group are warriors.

" _Then_ , we went to go find Harris, who has a military background, and  _bam_. He's gone, too. Deaton, Lydia, and I found Harris's graded tests, but the thing was, they were graded all weirdly. We spread them out and the letters were D, A, R, A, C, and H. Deaton then told me that if a druid went down the wrong path, it would become the 'dark oak,' which is a Darach."

"So the Darach is our guy," I said, and Stiles nodded. He dug into his pocket, pulling out his phone. He quickly played me the audio file, and it was normal for the most part, just piano music.

But then, there was a heavy  _crash_  and a cacophonous noise, before some chanting sounds. I furrowed my brows, listening as it got louder and louder, before the file ended.

"Human sacrifices," I mumbled, looking at my brother. "You were right on point."

"Unfortunately," Stiles frowned. "How'd it go with the twins?"

"Well, it went fine with them… for the most part. They locked Isaac and Allison in the janitor's closet though, and you know how Isaac's claustrophobic?" Stiles nodded. "Well, he lost control briefly and scratched Allison – not too bad, though, it was just her arm – so we got back at them by pissing of Aiden. He's a bit of a hothead."

Stiles snorted before asking, "And how'd that go?"

"Aiden's suspended, but – Scott and Isaac don't know this, but there was a piece of paper next to me. I picked it up and it told me to go to the woods, so I did. The entire Alpha Pack was there."

Stiles's eyes widened and he spluttered out, "Wha – bu – fu – ah – d –  _ **SINDY**_!" I actually winced at his loud voice. "What the  _ **hell**_  were you thinking?!  **Obviously**  if you get a message saying to go into the  **woods**   _ **alone**_ it isn't going to be good. Oh my God, are you okay?!" He grabbed me, quickly checking me for injuries, before his eyes fell onto my torn shirt. "Oh God." His face paled.

"I'm fine, Stiles," I said. "Now take a deep breath… or ten." I waited for my brother to calm down before continuing. "They wanted me to join their pack – big surprise. I said no. Don't worry. We mostly talked… though in the beginning, Kali did go for me and Ennis threw me against a tree, which explains the rip. Nothing too bad. I think the worst that was done to me was actually my fault."

Stiles arched a brow. "What?"

I elaborated, "I balled my hands into fists and my claws cut through my palms." I showed him my now fully healed and clean palms. "It was fine. Derek, on the other hand…"

"What happened to Derek?" Stiles asked, a bit on edge.

"You know how I was feeling sick the entire day?"

More nods.

"Well, it was because the Alphas went to visit Derek – sans the twins, since they were at school. Anyway, Kali shoved an entire pole through Derek, right here," I pointed to my stomach, where it was hurting earlier. "And it was lodged in there for the entire day before they went to find me."

"I… I read some things about mates feeling each other's pain," Stiles admitted. "But… But it shouldn't have been as serious as yours."

"It's because I'm a True Mate, Stiles. As an Alpha Female, I have more heightened senses that most. That includes feeling a mate's pain," I informed him.

He nodded slowly and took my hands gently. "I'm glad you're okay, though," he said. "I – Don't you  _ever_  scare me like that again!"

I smiled wryly and admitted, "Can't make any promises with our lives, but I'll do my best."

Stiles huffed, but knew it was good enough. He pulled me in for a hug and I returned it easily, wrapping my arms around his body. I took in his scent, the warmth and comfort that I was accustomed to for all these years.

No matter what happened, Stiles was always there for me. He was my constant. He always stayed by my side when we moved from one grade to the next, when we lost our mother, when we moved houses. No matter what, Stiles was and always will be there for me – just like I would be for him.

A sharp ring snapped me out of my thoughts and I extracted myself from my brother. I furrowed my brows and explained, "It's Isaac."

Stiles nodded, kissing my forehead briefly before leaving my room, closing the door behind me. I answered the call, about to greet him, but was stopped by the broken, sad tone in the boy's voice.

" _D – Did I do something wrong?"_  Isaac asked in a lost tone. I could hear the rain pelting outside on his end and I stood up, shocked.

"Isaac?" I questioned. "Isaac, what happened?"

" _Derek kicked me out,"_  Isaac said, and I could hear tears threatening to spill on his end.  _"Why? What'd I do wrong?"_

I immediately thought of what happened today, and realized Derek was pushing Isaac away so he wouldn't be caught in the crossfire with our conflict against the Alphas. He didn't want Isaac to lose his life. "You didn't do anything wrong, Isaac," I cooed gently and wished I could go get him. I reached for my car keys and said, "Tell me where you are, Isaac. I'll come pick you up. It's raining and you must be freezing."

" _I – I'm heading to Scott's,"_  Isaac admitted quietly.  _"I'm hoping I can crash there for a while. I'd go to your place, but your uh… your dad…"_

"My dad doesn't know," I agreed, nodding my head. It was for the best. "Isaac, you didn't do  **anything**  wrong, okay? I'm telling you this now. Has Derek ever given you any reason that he  _didn't_  care about you?"

" _N – No,"_  Isaac mumbled.  _"But… but_ why _?"_

I sighed heavily and informed him of what happened today. I knew that Derek would want this to be kept a secret away from everyone, but I thought it was best to be truthful to everyone. Nothing hurt worse than being pushed away by the people you cared about. Stiles and I did that after our mother died, clinging only onto each other, and I remembered how much it hurt our dad and Scott and everyone else.

Derek would be mad at me, but I already made my choice. Isaac was already lost without any living family members left – all he had was us.

" _So… So he did it to_ protect _me?"_

"Yeah," I nodded. "For now, just respect his wishes and keep your distance. It'll ease Derek to know that you're out of the crossfire."

" _I'm not going to let you or Derek get killed by the Alphas,"_  Isaac said stubbornly.

I chuckled softly. "What makes you think we'll be killed? I'm a lot stronger than I look, Isaac." There wasn't any response on his end and I said, "Isaac. It'll be fine. Do you trust me?"

" _Yes. More than anyone else."_

"Then just believe in me," I told him.

" _I'm at Scott's now. I'll… I'll talk to you later. Thanks for telling me, Sindy."_

"Consider it even for telling me about Allison," I smiled, trying to ease the tension a bit. "Bye, Isaac. Stay safe." Isaac gave me a soft goodbye, before I heard the dial tone.

Sighing heavily, I found Derek's number in my contacts, before placing the phone to my ear.

" _What is it, Sindy?"_  Derek's deep, smooth tone asked instead of a greeting. Typical.

I sat back down on my bed and informed him, "Our little Beta just called me – totally lost and broken, mind you. Said you kicked him out."

" _I did,"_  Derek admitted with a heavy sigh. I could feel his frustration rolling off of him in waves, even through the phone.  _"What I did to him was horrible."_

I furrowed my brows. "What do you mean?"

" _He wouldn't_ leave _,"_  Derek moved to explain, and I could hear him pacing.  _"He kept asking if it was his fault and then asked if something was wrong and I… I threw a glass cup at him."_

My jaw dropped.

I remembered being in the Lahey house, feeling and hearing the glass shatters and the yells. I remembered Isaac telling us about the story of the day he left his house – only to find his father dead. The last time he saw his father was… was when he threw a glass cup at him.

" _You must think I'm horrible, huh?"_

I quickly sobered up and frowned. "I could  _never_  think you're horrible, Derek," I said firmly. "Stubborn? Yes. Pig-headed? Oh yeah. A  _sourwolf_? I can definitely see it. Bluntly rude? Mhm-hm. But I would  **never**  in a million  _years_  think you're a horrible person. You, Derek Hale, are the love of my life, and yes, you've made mistakes. You made one tonight by doing that to Isaac, but  _listen to me_ : You're a good person, whether you think it or not."

It was silent for a moment before he started,  _"But–"_

"No  _buts_!" I snapped quickly. "The reason you did what you did with Isaac was because you cared about him and wanted him out of harm's way. The reason you're so tough with Scott is because you want him to face the reality of the world so he can be ready. The reason you – forgive me for mentioning this – told Kate about your family was because you trusted and believed you loved her. Everything you did and do is with good intentions, and I know that."

" _Don't you know the road to hell is paved with good intentions?"_  Derek shot back.

"Don't you know if you're going through hell, keep going?" I replied back just as sharply. "Kick hell's ass, Derek. I know you can."

Derek faintly chuckled and asked, "What happened to my shy, innocent, little mate?"

"She'll be back," I declared. "Right after she whoops the Darach and the Alpha Pack's asses."

" _The Darach? The dark druid? What's that got to do with anything?"_  Derek inquired, slightly confused.

I leaned back against the backboard of my bed and explained, "Stiles found out the person behind all the murders is the Darach. Human sacrifices."

" _Makes sense,"_  Derek commented. He wasn't involved in these murders as much as the rest of us were. His hands were completely fully with the Alpha Pack and Cora.  _"Sindy, you're getting involved with the Alphas and the Darach. Be careful."_

"I know, I know," I sighed. "I got a lecture from Stiles about going into the woods alone today just now, too."

" _If I wasn't healing, you best believe I would've given you a piece of my mind, too,"_ I heard Derek snarl lowly. It was silent for a second before he said,  _"Sindy, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."_

I smiled softly, playing with my sheets. "You won't lose me. Just like I won't lose you."

Regardless of my words, I couldn't help the sick, twisted gut feeling that had begun to build again.


	52. Connected

**SUNDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 2, 2011**

I burst into the loft, holding up the tubes of papers in the air. Derek was the first to react, sitting up from his bed while Cora and Boyd looked up from their books. Peter gave me a small look from his usual perch on the stairs. "I have the blueprints," I announced, walking over to the table near the windows.

Derek quickly joined my side and I placed the tubes on the table, stating, "Believe me when my father was extremely curious as to why I needed the blueprints to this building."

"Great job," Derek said, giving me a swift kiss on the top of my head – making the hassle all worthwhile – before popping open the first tube. Peter, Boyd and Cora quickly strode over to where we were, opening the other tubes.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," I said warily, bouncing on my heels uncomfortably.

"We're only after Deucalion," Derek said, resting his hands on the table as he looked over the floor plans.

"But we have to get through four Alphas before getting to him," I gnawed at my bottom lip. "You, Peter, and Cora might be experienced werewolves, but Boyd and I are still technically baby wolves.

"Are you backing out  _now_?" Cora glanced up at me.

"I'm not saying  _that_ ," I snapped back. "I'm just saying that aren't we rushing into this a bit  _too_  quickly?"

"They've been threatening the pack for months, Sindy," Derek said simply. "If anything, we've waited long enough. Now, what has you  _really_  worried?" He turned to me, crossing his arms.

I looked everywhere but at him, seeing the looks of confusion on the other werewolves' faces.

"There's this gut feeling in my stomach," I said, placing a hand over my stomach. "It doesn't feel good."

Peter looked at me strangely and asked, "You're not…  _pregnant_ , are you? Your scent hasn't changed at all." He sniffed the air and nodded, confirming his thoughts. "You aren't."

"Of course I'm not," I replied. "I don't really get it, either. Maybe I'm just over-thinking things again, but… whatever it is, I don't feel good." I looked back to the papers and said, "Let's just get to planning." I wanted the subject dropped. I was, after all, just a werewolf. I wasn't a psychic or anything.

We were looking for a way to lure and trap Deucalion, when the door suddenly slid open. "I know where they are!" Scott exclaimed, walking into the room.

"Same building as the Argents," Derek replied. "We know."

Scott looked at me accusingly and asked, "And you didn't think about telling me?"

I bit my bottom lip guiltily and said, "They came after Derek and I. Not you. There must've been a reason for that. If it was possible, I want you not involved at all in this."

"I thought we were in this together," Scott said, looking at me with hurt, wide brown eyes. "You're just as much my sister as you're Stiles's. You think I'm just going to let you put yourself in danger like that?"

I sighed heavily, knowing there was no use in fighting Scott. I was lucky that he wasn't pulling out his cell phone, calling Stiles right away.

"How do you guys know?" Scott inquired.

Boyd turned around to look at Scott and explained, "Cora and I followed the twins."

"Then they want you to know," Scott stated, walking forward to join us.

"Or," Peter cut in, "more likely, they don't care."

Scott took a glance at the floor plans on the table and asked, "What is this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Peter replied. "The schemers are scheming, coming up with a  _coup de main_ , better known as pre-emptive strike."

"You're going after them?" Scott demanded, looking up at Derek.

"Tomorrow," the Alpha confirmed. "And you're gonna help us. They're one floor above in the penthouse. Right above Allison."

"So kill them first," Scott concluded. "That's the plan?"

"They won't even see it coming," Boyd insisted, looking down at my best friend.

Scott had an exasperated look on his face as he demanded, "Why is the default plan always murder? Just  _once_ , can somebody try to come up with something that doesn't involve killing everyone?" He turned to me and accused, "I thought you'd be the one rejecting the idea."

"Scott, this isn't Derek coming after  _you_. This is a pack of strange, unknown, blood-thirsty wolves that want to kill my pack. You know I'd do anything to protect them." I wasn't looking forward to blood staining my hands, but if it was to keep my family safe, I'd do it.

"You never get tired of being so  _blandly_  moral, do you?" Peter sighed out. "Not that I disagree with him." He looked pointedly at his nephew.

"I do," Cora piped in. "Why do we need this kid?" she looked at Scott with distaste.

"This  _kid_  helped save your life," Derek pointed out. "And you know we can't just sit back and wait for them to make the first move."

"You can't beat a pack of Alphas," Scott replied.

"That's why we're going after Deucalion," Cora said lowly. " _Just_  him."

"Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies," Boyd nodded.

"Only this isn't a snake, it's a hydra," Peter piped in. "And like Scott says, they're all Alphas."

"Deucalion's still the leader," Derek replied stubbornly.

"Let's hope so," Peter sighed. "Because you know what happened when Hercules cut off one of the heads of the hydra?"

"Two more grew back in its place," Scott realized.

Peter gave Scott a small smirk. "Somebody's been doing their summer reading."

Scott sighed heavily, giving me a small look. I stood up straighter, following him out of the room and loft. It wasn't until I was outside next to his dirt bike did he turn to me and ask, "Killing someone?"

"I don't want to, either," I sighed, watching Scott straddle his bike.

"Then why?" Scott fiddled with his helmet. He looked at me with soft eyes. "Derek isn't…  _forcing_  you, is he?"

"God, no!" I exclaimed quickly. "Scott, you have to understand that as an Alpha… as an Alpha Female, I feel  _highly_  protective of everyone in my pack – and that extends to you, Stiles, my dad, your mom… I would do  **anything**  to keep you guys safe." I reached out, squeezing one of his hands. "Because if something were to happen to any of you, a part of me would just  _die_."

Scott nodded quietly. "J – Just let me talk to Deucalion first."

"I can't promise you that," I said. "I can try, but no guarantees." Scott nodded once again, before slipping on his helmet. He gave me a quiet goodbye, and then left.

I moved to go back inside the loft, and that was when I passed by Peter, Cora, and Boyd, who were heading for the exit. I blinked. "Already done?"

"For the most part," Peter responded. I gave a short nod, before jogging up the stairs to the loft.

I jogged the rest of the way up the steps, heading to the top floor. Upon arriving, Derek didn't even glance up as I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me.

Silently, I walked to Derek's armoire. I pulled out a large, dark Henley of his, before taking off my shirt and bra. I changed into his shirt, before pulling out my phone, texting Stiles to tell him I was staying at Derek's for the night. As I sent the text, I kicked off my jeans, and the Henley fell to my thighs, just like a modest dress would.

I folded the clothes before placing them on the side-table, before padding over to Derek's bed. Upon feeling the bed shift, Derek closed his book, placing it on the table that was next to his bed.

"So," I asked, tucking myself under the soft covers. I turned to Derek and asked, "What's the plan?"

"We'll debrief it and finalize it before we strike tomorrow," Derek said, turning to look at me. The back of his fingers of his left hand moved gently, stroking my arm softly. "Right now…" He trailed off, leaving his unfinished sentence hanging in the air.

I scooted close to him, and he leaned down, capturing my lips with his. My toes curled underneath the covers, before I slid my foot up, running it up his pajama-pant-clad leg. I slid my leg back down, before digging my toes underneath the sleeve, and brushed it against his strong calf, feeling his thick hair rub against my skin.

Derek leaned his head down, and my toes curled underneath his sleep pants as he literally took my breath away. He slowly moved me, and I let him roll me over so I was on my back, and I pulled my foot out. I ran it up against his leg sensually, and he purred into my mouth in pleasure.

"Sindy…" he mumbled against my lips, running his large hands up and down my sides. I growled softly in response, feeling his hardened cock against my lower stomach.

As I nibbled on his top lip and he on my bottom, I ran a hand down his strong, bare chest, enjoying the way his muscles tightened beneath my touch. He sat up onto his knees, pulling me with him. He sat in-between my legs and he pulled back from me, reaching for his Henley before raising it slowly, taking the shirt off of me.

As my skin was revealed to the semi-cold air, I felt light bumps rise onto my skin, and my nipples hardened upon contact. My hair fell down my back as Derek fully removed the shirt, tossing it to the side.

He leaned down, kissing me softly, before softly moving me so I was on all fours in front of him. He backed away, and I purred softly, stretching like a cat to straighten out my back, when I felt his strong hands rub against my back, easing the knots.

I moaned softly, arching my back, and I felt Derek move to cover my body with his. He kissed the area between my shoulder blades, in the exact location of where his tattoo was on his own body. "My beautiful mate…" he purred softly, running his blunt nails down my spine.

He brushed my hair over my right shoulder, and I felt him grip the sides of my panties. He dragged them down slowly, and I briefly raised my knees up so he could extract the fabric. He shifted behind me briefly, before I felt his hard length brush against my cheeks.

A small moan escaped from my throat, as I felt him direct his cock to my wet slit. He ran his length against me, making me whimper softly. "Does my mate want me?" he inquired softly, in a sensual tone that held so much promise and desire. It wasn't teasing at all – more of an  _urging_  tone than anything else.

I nodded my head, arching my back as I spread my legs. My heart pounded as I felt Derek adjust himself behind me, before sliding into me. The two of us released sounds of pleasure as he slid into me – as he slid home.

Derek groaned and threw his body to cover mine and I felt his harsh, hot breath blowing against my skin. "Sindy…" he said quietly, and I felt him purr before he nuzzled my skin.  _God_ , it had been too long. The last time we had been together and intimate was the day we had rescued Boyd and Cora almost a full month ago.

Derek's arm snaked underneath me, spreading his hand over my stomach before trailing up my sternum. His arm rested between my breasts as he grabbed my face, angling it. My breath was stolen away from me again as he kissed me, moving his hips in a gentle, smooth rhythm.

I could feel every ridge of him inside me as my walls squeezed around him while our lips came together for a small dance. Our breaths intertwined as we panted out harshly, as Derek continued to thrust, bucking his hips into the curve of my ass every single time. I moaned gently, and my tongue slipped into his mouth. He swallowed his name that escaped from my throat before he released my face.

My hands tightened into fists in the bed sheets as Derek's hands went to my hips. His pelvis slapped against my bottom, and I arched my back, body eagerly taking in every bit of him. "Derek…" I exhaled breathlessly, my eyelids getting heavy in pleasure. A purr rumbled through my chest as Derek continued to move, his hands now beginning to wander over the expanse of my back.

My breathing got shallower and shallower as every nerve was sparked by his touch. I shut my eyes tightly and gritted my teeth, feeling my body move on its own accord to meet Derek thrust for thrust.

"Yes," I encouraged my mate. "Right there, love." The bed sheets scrunched in my tight grip as Derek angled his hips. His hands flew back to my hips, gripped them firmly, and he sped up slightly. " _Ohh_ ," I breathed.

Derek's harsh pants slipped from his lips as he kneeled straighter, pulling at my hips so my thighs would slap against his. "Oh!" I yelped, before burying my face into the sheets. I could feel my hard nipples brush against the cotton sheets, moving every time Derek bucked into me. I leaned my head to the side, taking in my much-needed oxygen, before rolling my hips with his thrusts.

"There's my good little squirrel," Derek muttered quietly, lust dripping from each word. "Move right against me. Just like that." I whimpered softly at his hot words and Derek leaned down, not stuttering in his rhythm as his hard chest covered my softer back. "Is my mate a good little girl?" he cooed seductively into my ear.

I moaned loudly, arching underneath him as he took the lobe of my ear into his mouth. "You didn't answer my question, Sindy," Derek whispered. A sharp bark slipped from my lips as he gave a particular rough thrust, hitting my cervix roughly. "Have you been a good little girl?"

I whimpered softly, toes curling harshly. "Yes," I gasped out. "Yes. The best." I felt his hot, wet tongue lick from one shoulder blade to the next. "Oh my God, I've been so good, Derek. Derek,  _please_."

"Obedience is the key," Derek responded, licking up my spine, sending a rough shiver down it. "On my signal, Sindy, you're going to cum. No sooner. No later. Do you understand?" A small whine passed through my throat. "I asked if you understand, Sindy. I'm not gonna ask again."

"Y – Yes…" I breathed out, relaxing my Alpha that pounded against its cage. It wanted to come out so badly, but I resisted, relaxing my muscles in order to submit to him.

He purred in satisfaction, his hands touching my everywhere. "Good," he said, groping at my breasts. I continued to relax as he massaged my breasts while working me close to my orgasm.

It was then, all of a sudden, before I could even process it, a hand disappeared from my breast, and flew to my clit, pressing against it harshly. I yelped in surprise, head springing up as my arms got straighter to support myself. Immediately, my head dropped low, and I moaned, feeling Derek tweak a nipple and my clit at the same time in little circles.

"Everything about you is so beautiful, Sindy," Derek said against my ear. I felt him lick the side of my face and I moaned gently, feeling his canines brush against my cheek. His Alpha was completely out now, and his presence radiated with control. "From your flushed cheeks to your perky breasts to your flat stomach to your pretty little pink pussy. And do you know what the best part is?"

I shuddered underneath his touch, his hot breath hitting the side of my face. "N – No."

"The fact that it's  _all_ _ **mine**_. Every inch of your soft, creamy skin belongs to  _me_  and no one else. Only  _I_  can touch it," his clawed hand moved from my breast, down my sides, to gently scrape against my outer thighs. I shuddered. "Just as every part of my body is only yours." I nodded mutely, knowing no coherent words were going to slip from my mouth now.

His fingers were still playing with my little button as his cock moved inside of me. I was throbbing painfully, wanting to just let it all go, but I kept it all in – kept it under control just for Derek.

I gasped, my watery eyes snapping wide open as he rubbed his fingers together, sliding my clit in-between the digits. My hips buckled harshly and I felt Derek reigning me in.  _God_ , I was so close. Derek nipped my throat, before he said, "Cum, Sindy. Cum for me." At his command, I screamed loudly, hands and toes curling as I clenched around Derek's cock tightly. My back arched and I threw my head back, and I felt Derek kiss down the side of my face as I came undone beneath him.

He then placed his lips over mine, taking in my low moans as I continued to spasm beneath him. I felt him pick up speed, and I pulled back from Derek's face, unable to breathe properly. He kissed down the side of my face, and I heard him growl lowly. My mouth opened wide on its own accord, and then another ear-piercing scream passed through my throat as he bit down on my skin roughly.

I hit my high once again and felt Derek groan into the side of my neck. My walls clamped around him tightly and I felt the familiar sensation of him spurting inside me, filling me with his warm seed. My hips buckled as my insides squeezed Derek, milking him, taking him all. I felt myself grow tighter and tighter, before I gripped the sheets harshly, accommodating to his slowly growing size.

**KNOTTING BEGINS HERE**

Derek's knot locked himself inside of me. My pussy throbbed around his cock as he continued to release inside of me. Derek pulled his teeth from the side of my neck and I moaned quietly as he licked at my mark, lapping and cleaning it.

He swiveled his hips as soon as he finished climaxing, and I mewled in pleasure. Words always failed to describe how wonderful Derek's knot felt inside of me. At first, it was scary – it was like the feeling of being gently stretched to the point of pain, but my healing factor always kicked it before it hurt.

Whenever he knotted inside of me, I felt incredibly full, and not only because of him, but because he had also released inside of me. There was just something about the way my body taking in everything Derek gave me that left me feeling like the most satiated and loved female in the world. And as he nuzzled me while he swiveled his hips, I was pretty sure I could claim there was no stronger bond than the one Derek and I shared.

When Derek moved up, I moved down, taking in the maximum pleasure that I could receive. He swiveled to the left, I moved to the right, pressing him deep into my walls. He pulled me to his hips, I'd push myself against them, pressing us together as close as we could get. Our bodies moved in a synchronized dance that was so put together you'd think we'd been doing this for years.

You know what else was great?

Listening to the way Derek responded to my movements. Every grunt, moan, and groan he released filled me with womanly pride.  _I_  was able to reduce him to such a state.  _I_  was able to give him this much pleasure.

My orgasm continued to build – closer and closer we moved. I – I wasn't going to be able to keep it in anymore. The pleasure, the love I had for Derek was boiling towards the edge, and with a simple, "Sindy," from Derek, had me crying out his name loudly as I shuddered violently under his hold. He held my hips as my body vibrated with pleasure, and I felt him grunt, before the familiar warmth filled my insides as he released into me.

My hips shivered – completely out of my control, but Derek held me steady against him, not letting me pull away from him – from the pleasure.

I slumped down against the bed when my orgasmic wave ended, and I could still feel him pulsing inside of me, spurting his warm essence deep inside of me. I could feel his tip kissing my cervix, causing it to open and accept all he had to give me. I whimpered gently against the cool sheets. My entire upper body was spent, but my lower body was still working frantically to accommodate my mate.

Nature had our best interests placed together in the best ways, no?

Derek's pulsating member had me relaxing, and as I did just that, I could feel his cock easing as well. He bucked against my hips instinctively, forcing out the last of his seed, before Derek leaned down. He kissed the area between my shoulder blades, and I sighed heavenly.

**IT'S SAFE NOW.**

I felt him shift before slipping out of me, and I whimpered at the loss. I could feel him move to get out of bed, but I called out, "Don't." I turned on the large bed to look at Derek, who was sitting on the edge of it, chest moving as he regained his breath. "Don't," I repeated, pushing myself up on shaky arms. I felt my face warm as the next words tumbled out of my mouth, "I like having you inside me."

It was definitely messy, yes, but it was a mess both Derek and I created. And someday, the mess will create something new.

Derek looked down at me silently with his pale green eyes.

I didn't say anything, just looked back and met his eyes with mine. No words were exchanged and we continued to stare at each other. It wasn't until a small twitch on Derek's lip caused a wide smile to form on mine did our eye contact break. But it only broke because Derek leaned in, capturing my lips with his.

I let him push me down gently back onto the bed, and I felt Derek's sperm leave a small little wet spot where I was sitting. Derek sighed heavily before he pulled me into his arms, and I pressed myself against his warm, sweaty chest.

He and I lied there for seconds, minutes, hours – who knows how long. But all I could remember was we just lied there, kissing, until exhaustion came over us, and sleep overtook us.


	53. Meeting

**MONDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 3, 2011**

"You're joking," I deadpanned, crossing my arms.

"Sindy," Scott pushed, walking towards me, grabbing my wrist. "This is a better way to approach things. You don't want to fight the Alphas, do you?"

"No," I agreed, "but that's not the point, Scott. The point is you're trying to get me to go  _against_  my mate. I can't do that." I shook my head, along with my arm, making Scott release me.

" _Please_ , Sindy," Scott almost begged. "You're the  _only_  one I can trust."

I bit my lip and looked at Scott. "I – I can't," I shook my head again, and I saw the disappointment in Scott's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Sindy, if Derek loves you, he'll forgive you," Scott told me. "I'm not asking you to fight him. I'm just asking you to come with me so we can  **talk**  to Deucalion."

"Do you honestly think he'll want to  _talk_?" I spat, dropping my arms. "Scott, Deucalion's murdered his own  _pack_  in cold blood. What makes you think he won't do that to  _you_?"

"I – I don't," Scott confessed. "But it's worth a shot."

"Scott, I know being a pacifist is good, but sometimes, you can't roll over and let them step over you. You're not a  _puppy_ , Scott. You're a  _werewolf_."

"I know that!" Scott exclaimed. "But Deucalion already agreed to meet me in the abandoned mall outside of town. He told me I could bring you, but no one else. And to be honest, Sindy, there's no one I'd rather have beside me than you… not including Stiles, of course."

I pursed my lips, considering my options:

Help Scott, but go behind Derek's back.

Help Scott, but go behind Scott's back and tell Derek anyway.

Either way, one werewolf was going to be mad at me. I couldn't bear it if Derek thought he could no longer trust me. But… looking into Scott's eyes, the eyes that I have known for  **years** , I knew that he couldn't rely on anyone else at this point.

I swallowed the lump in my throat thickly. Derek's trust versus Scott's trust.

I've always taken Derek's side, minus the one time he tried to kill Lydia. The issue was never brought up again after it was revealed that Jackson was the Kanima. In fact, I never even believed Derek was mad at me.

But – But Scott… Yeah, he's had Stiles this whole time, but Stiles, Scott, and I were –  _are_  – a team. Ever since we were little kids and running around without a care in the world.

Looking into Scott's deep brown eyes, I saw the determination that rested there, the patience, and the defeat. He believed that he had lost already without me even saying anything.

And I couldn't bear for that to happen.

"Okay," I answered quietly, looking up at Scott. "I'll do it. I won't tell Derek, but Scott, he can read me like a book. I won't say anything, but I can't guarantee that he won't find out."

"I'll take what I can get," Scott said. He walked over to me, grabbed my wrist, and surrounded me in his arms. "I'm sorry you have to make this choice."

A small, dry smile appeared on my face as I circled my arms around his thin body. "Believe me, I'm sorry, too." I pulled back briefly from Scott's hug and said, "I wish I could say there was no choice to make, but Scott… both you  _and_  Derek are important to me. "I can't stand the thought of  _either_  of you guys hurt."

"No one's going to get hurt," Scott assured me. "We're just going to go in, talk, and get out."

"I sure hope so…" I mumbled, before extracting myself from Scott. I walked over to the door, unlocking it before pulling it open. I looked at my best friend and said, "It sucks that the world isn't as black and white as we originally thought it was, but Scott, even if the lines blur, just know that I'm always on your side."

He gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Sindy." I nodded mutely, before leaving the room.

I don't know if he understood my words or not, but what I meant by being on his side was his safety would always be a priority of mine. Whether I agreed with Scott's methods or not, my main goal was to keep him safe. Keep him, Stiles, Derek, Isaac, Boyd, Cora, and in extension: Allison and Lydia, safe.

I pursed my lips as I heard my name being called. I glanced up, just in time to see Stiles jogging over to me. "Hey," he greeted, hugging me briefly. "You seen Scott?"

"English classroom," I jutted my thumb behind me, where I was earlier.

Stiles nodded and went to move, but then stepped back, looking at me with furrowed eyebrows. "You okay, Sindy?"

I blinked, looking up at my brother. "Yeah," I nodded. "What makes you think otherwise?"

"Well, besides the fact that you're brooding like Derek and look awfully troubled?" Stiles quipped. "C'mon, Sindy, you're my sister. I  _know_  when something's bothering you."

"Just thinking about shades," I responded cryptically, before side-stepping away from Stiles. "Shades of grey," I elaborated, before walking off.

I could feel my brother's eyes against my back as I walked away, but I kept looking forward, moving to leave the school.

I turned down the hallway, when a door was suddenly opened. If it weren't for my fast reflexes, I would've fallen. I quickly grabbed the wrist of the girl, keeping her steady on her feet.

"Oh!" Allison exclaimed in shock. "Uh, sorry about that, Sindy," she apologized. I cocked my head to the side and slowly released her wrist when she regained her balance.

"That's fine," I said simply.

She looked at me awkwardly for a couple seconds, and I moved to continue walking, when she called, "Wait!"

I furrowed my brows, keeping my feet planted as I angled my head to look up at her. She had a good six inches on me, and even a couple more with the boots she wore.

"I – uh, wanna thank you," Allison said, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. At the sight of my confused look, she elaborated, "For not telling anyone about that night at the school – even though Scott found out because he found one of my arrows."

I pursed my lips and bit back a snarky remark I had. I was trying, for the most part, to play nice with Allison.

"Also for that day when the twins were terrorizing us – or specifically, you guys," Allison added as an afterthought.

"I kept it quiet because of Isaac, not because of you," I told her honestly. "To be honest, up until a couple weeks ago, I couldn't care less about you. On my entire list of people to care about, you'd probably be one of the last people there." I didn't miss the way her brown eyes sparked with a glint of hurt, but it was the truth.

"You were only directly involved in one of the three instances I almost died this past year, and I don't fault you for what your family – what Kate or what your mother did. Allison, I blame you for being so easily manipulated. How could you not see that Kate – that Gerard – was manipulating every part of you? You claim to love Scott, yet you turned against him so easily with what? A few words? I understand that Kate and Gerard were –  _are_  – your family members and no one understands better than I on how important family is…

"But Allison… you fell for those tricks hook, line, and sinker. If they had told you to jump off a cliff, you probably would've done it. If Stiles asked me to jump off a cliff, I would as  _why_  before doing it. You have to question things and see things clearly – as clearly as you can – before you jump in. Because, Allison, the next time it happens, how can you guarantee that someone won't  _actually die_  the next time around?"

Allison stayed quiet as she listened, contemplated over my words. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and she nodded, and I could see it in her eyes – I could  _feel_  it – that she was repentant.

"I won't ever forget what you did, Allison," I told her honestly. "But… I'm willing to give you one more chance. I can see it. I can  _feel_ it. That you really do want to help us, right?" She nodded, her lips quivering. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, even if Derek doesn't believe you deserve it. But Allison?"

She looked at me questioningly, waiting.

"Three strikes, and you're out," I told her sternly.

"Thank you," Allison said, her voice cracking softly.

I gave her a small smile, and reached forward. I wrapped my arms around her, and she leaned her head down, before I heard a choked sob escape from her throat. I smelled the saltiness of her tears and felt the dampness of them as they dropped down onto my shoulder, and I held her, letting her release all the frustration, the sorrow, the reflection she kept inside her.

Once Allison released all her pent up feelings, she stood up straight, wiping away her tears. "I – uh, I'm sorry. For crying all over you and for everything."

I gave her a small smile and said, "It's okay." I heard the sound of familiar heels clicking and turned my head, seeing Lydia walking towards us.

The strawberry blonde paused in her strutting as she saw the teary Allison and looked at me, confused. Well, at least she didn't shoot an accusatory look towards me.

"Are you two good now?" Lydia asked without missing a beat. "Because frankly, it's annoying seeing Allison jealous of you when you're with Scott and you wanting to hurt Allison when you see her."

My eyebrows shot to my hairline as I turned to Allison. "You know Scott and I are just really close friends, right? You seriously have nothing to worry about."

"I – er – I –" Allison stuttered out, her cheeks turning a light pink. "It – It's just, you and Scott are so close…"

"Just like how Stiles and I are," I shrugged. "Scott's our brother from another mother." I turned to Lydia and explained, "And I promise I won't have any thoughts of smashing Allison's head into a wall. Right now, I have some prepping to do."

"How about we do something together sometime?" Lydia blurted out. "Hit the mall or a spa or something."

I scratched my head and said, "I guess… but right now, I kind of have bigger things to worry about…" I trailed off.

"Give me your phone, then," Lydia all but demanded. I blinked at the girl but pulled out my phone nonetheless, handing it to her. She punched in a couple of things on the screen before she pulled out her own phone. "There," she announced, handing my phone back. "Now you have Allison's and my numbers. By the way, you have a very low number of female numbers and I think only Scott's mother was the only female you had in there."

"You looked through my contacts?" I quirked an eyebrow at her. It wasn't like it was anything invasive, so I didn't really mind  _that_  much.

Lydia nodded. "When I accessed your phonebook, there was also your favorite contacts. You really don't hang out or talk to anyone besides Derek, Scott, Stiles, and Isaac, do you?"

"I've been texting Boyd a couple times…" I muttered under my breath.

"Doesn't count," Lydia said.

"Danny and I send each other funny pick-up lines every once in a while."

"You  _really_  have no social life outside of the guys you're always with," Lydia concluded.

I sighed heavily, knowing I was defeated. "I know. But to be honest, dealing with them is enough on my plate. Anyway, I really need to go, now. Just text me later or something if you need anything."

Without waiting for another word, I turned my heel and walked away.  _Wow_ , I was really becoming like Derek more and more these days.

Speaking of Derek, I needed to head back to his loft to grab my jacket I left there the other night.

My phone vibrated in my bag and I reached into it, pulling it out easily. I was expected a text from Lydia, but instead, it was from Scott.

 _ **Scott McCall:**_  Meet me at my place at eight tonight. It's better to head in together.

 _ **Sindy Stilinski:**_  Gotcha.

I sent off my reply and locked my phone, slipping it back into my bag. Exiting the school, I quickly found my car and started the engine, driving to Derek's loft.

When I pushed open the door to the loft, four heads turned to look at me. "… What?"

"You're late," Derek said, standing up straight and crossing his arms.

I pulled out my phone. "… It's four o'clock." I walked over to them, the heels of my boots clacking against the concrete floor. "I was caught up."

"For an hour?" Cora looked at me.

I hadn't realized how much time had passed between Scott's talk with me, along with my talk with Allison. I shrugged in response, glancing at Derek, who was looking at me with an unreadable expression.

"What?" I repeated again. It was quite disconcerting when your mate was looking at you like you held the biggest secret in the world. I mean, it wasn't the  _biggest_  secret, and I  _hated_  keeping this from Derek, but… nonetheless…

Derek shook his head. His hand went to the side of mine, and he tilted it briefly before he leaned down, placing his lips onto my head. He didn't kiss me or anything, and I was fine with that. Derek wasn't the overly affectionate type, so to have him even doing  _something_  to me with others around was notable. "Nothing," he said, his lips moving against my hair.

I cocked my head to the side and drawled, "O… kay…" I hopped onto the tips of my toes and gave Derek a swift kiss. Hey, I said  _he_  wasn't affectionate.  _I_  was, and he let me be.

I glanced down at the plans on Allison's building and felt a bit gutted. "Are you –  _we_  – seriously going tonight?"

"Deucalion's not there," Boyd reported. "Cora and I snuck in earlier – no one was there."

"It'll have to wait another night," Derek informed me. "But that just gives us more time to prepare." I nodded as best as I could without being stiff. Everyone seemed to buy it, as Peter crossed his arms, turning his attention to his niece.

We hunched over the table, planning a route in which we'd enter the building. Derek and I – the more active, flexible, agile ones, would go from the top – breaking in through the windows. Cora and Boyd would storm the front.

Peter… well… he was sitting it out. He was just helping us plan. I think he just wanted to save his own ass, but I wasn't going to say it out loud.

Night soon fell and I checked the time. It was already seven-thirty. "I promised Scott we'd get some dinner together," I informed no one in particular. "I'll uh… see you guys tomorrow, then?"

"That works," Cora nodded her head. Boyd did the same.

Derek didn't say anything, but he drop his hand that was on my shoulder, running it down my skin. He placed it against the small of my back before gripping my right wrist gently, then releasing me.

I leaned in for another kiss and Derek complied, before I pulled away, leaving the loft.

**DEREK HALE**

Sindy closed the door behind her, and I looked down at the floor plans, before moving my head to look at the Betas before me. "Cora, you follow Sindy, but make sure she doesn't catch your scent or anything. Don't tail her too close. Stay far away enough so you can just keep a look out on her."

Peter furrowed his brow. "You suspect something's going on between Scott and Sindy? Are you doubting the strength of a mated bond that much, Derek? A  _True Mate_ 's bond, no less?"

"I'm not doubting anything," I responded simply, crossing my arms. "There was something off in Sindy's demeanor the whole time she was here."

"I didn't feel anything," Boyd frowned.

I shook my head. "It was subtle. I doubted you three caught it, but it was there. Scott's scent was also all over her wrist."

"Her…  _wrist_? What does that mean?" Cora furrowed her dark brows. "She's been with him the whole day in school. That's like saying she has Stiles's scent on her."

I looked at Cora before admitting, "When I touched her wrist just now, I felt confliction. Like whatever happened earlier today had her thinking incredibly hard. She was really weighing her options."

"You think Scott's convinced her to talk to Deucalion with him," Peter concluded.

I gave a curt nod. "And it's tonight."

**SINDY STILINSKI**

I opened the door to Scott's room. "Hey, you ready?" I asked, looking at Scott.

"Yeah," Scott nodded. "Lemme just get my jacket." As he threw it on, a familiar scent filled my nose. Scott turned around and jumped slightly. "Whoa."

I turned, and just as I expected, Isaac was standing there, leaning against the doorway.

"Where you going?" Isaac inquired, looking at the both of us.

"Uh… I – I uh, I was gonna go get some food to eat with Sindy," Scott responded.

"Oh, cool," Isaac replied. "I'll come with you guys. You're taking Sindy's car, right? I saw it in the driveway."

"Uh, nah, dude, it's okay. We can – we can eat alone," Scott responded. I wanted to just hit him up the head. 'We can eat alone?'  _Seriously?_

Isaac nodded towards Scott. "What are you guys getting?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh – Mex… i… can…?" Scott drawled and I wanted to smack  _myself_. Isaac loved eating Mexican food.

"Oh, dude, I  _love_  Mexican," the young Beta responded, moving to head downstairs.

"Isaac," Scott cut in, making the taller boy turn to him. "We can eat alone. It's okay."

Isaac's blue eyes fell on me, and then turned back to Scott. "You two aren't going alone." He bobbed his head to the doorway. "Come on."

I pursed my lips, and followed the boys out of the house. Isaac slid into the backseat behind me while Scott got into the passenger's side. After I turned on the engine, I drove off to the outskirts of town, where the abandoned mall was.

We stalked inside the empty mall quietly, and Scott looked at Isaac. "We're just gonna try to talk to him," the brunet stressed. "Try to reason with him. That's it."

"What?" Scott questioned, seeing the contemplative look on Isaac's face.

"Nothing," Isaac shook his head. "It's just that… uh… I'm kind of hungry right now." On cue, my stomach rumbled. I had skipped dinner since I was busy planning with Derek and the others.

I blushed softly while Scott and Isaac chuckled. "So am I," Scott informed us.

"Let's really get some Mexican after this," I mumbled, walking into the mall with them.

We arrived in the center of the mall, and I took in the image of Deucalion standing at the center of one of the broken escalators, surrounded by the rubble of the run down building.

"You didn't come alone," Deucalion responded.

"Yeah," Scott nodded. "This is Isaac."

"I'm not talking about Isaac," Deucalion said, just as the wind shifted and I caught a scent.

It was then Derek stepped out of the shadows, fully transformed. He glanced at me with his blood red eyes before turning to focus on Deucalion.

Scott turned to me with wide eyes and I shook my head. "I – I didn't say anything," I said quietly.

"You didn't have to," Derek said lowly. "Your scent gave it all away. You might be able to fool everyone else, Sindy, but you'll never be able to fool me."

"Derek, don't," Scott protested. "You can't do this so no one gets hurt. If someone dies–"

"Him," Derek interrupted, pointing a clawed hand at Deucalion. "Just him."

Deucalion stood calmly. "Just me? Now, how's a blind man find his way into a place like this all… on his own?"

I heard some scraping sounds and turned, seeing Kali make her way down a concrete column. I vaguely felt Boyd and Cora step forward, just as Ennis walked right past us, glowering at us with his crimson eyes.

Up above on a ledge, the twins stood there, shirts off, and ready to merge. I flexed my fingers, feeling the claws settling in.

_So much for a talk._

Derek roared, charging at Deucalion, but was intercepted by Kali. The twins jumped off the ledge and fused together and I roared, getting in front of Isaac and Scott.

Isaac and I both charged at the twins, but their arm shot out, and I barely dodged their claws before the swiped at me from underneath them. I moved my lower body as best as I could, and kicked them right in the face as I dropped to the ground.

The wind was knocked out of me as the stepped on me roughly, and I moved my head to the side, barely avoiding Isaac's foot.

The twins grabbed me with one arm while dragging Scott with the other before kicking Isaac away. I winced in pain at the harsh way they gripped at my hair, tugging and pulling on the roots.

I heard other thumps around us and Deucalion order, "Kill him." I turned my head painfully to see the head Alpha looking down at Derek as Boyd lied at his feet. "The others can go," he said.

Isaac groaned in pain when the twins stomped a foot on his stomach, and I winced, closing my eyes as I felt Isaac's blood and spit hit my face.

"You're beaten," Deucalion announced, walking down the steps. "Do it, Derek. Take the first step."

"Are we serious with this kid?" Kali spat, her foot over Cora's neck. "Look at him.  _He_ 's an Alpha? To what? A couple of useless teenagers?"

"Some have… more promise than others," Deucalion looked over to where Scott and I were. "Don't worry, Sindy. I'll take care of you next." I heard Isaac groaned and winced, trying to look down at the Beta.

They were going to make me kill Isaac after forcing Derek to kill Boyd. No.  _No._  No. No. No. No.  _ **No.**_

"Let him rise to the occasion, then," Kali said gleefully. "What'll it be, Derek? Pack? Or family?" She stepped harder on Cora's neck and I could hear the girl gasping for breath.

I then heard a whistling sound.

Easily identifying it, I closed my eyes tightly. I heard a small explosion, and could feel the light cover me before I was dropped to the ground unceremoniously.

I shielded my head, blocking out the bright lights.

When they stopped, I pounced to my feet, helping Isaac up. I moved him to the side where Cora and Boyd were, while Scott faced off against Ennis, before quickly being joined by Derek.

Derek and Ennis then faced off against each other, and Scott swiped at Ennis's calf. I watched with wide eyes as they both lost their footing, before falling down below.

" _ **DEREK**_!" I roared, struggling against Isaac's grip. "Let me go, Isaac!"

I gripped the Beta's hand tightly before darting over to the edge next to Scott. "Derek!" I cried again, my voice echoing in the almost-empty mall. I moved to get a closer look, but felt four arms restrain me.

I struggled against the tight grip, flailing wildly. "Let me go!" I protested.

"Sindy, Sindy, you need to  _calm down_!" Cora yelled in my ear.

"I can't!" I shook my head, feeling my tears pool. "I can't! Derek! Derek's–"

"He's dead, Sindy," I heard Boyd say solemnly.

"No," I furiously shook my head. "No, no, no, no. He's not dead. He's  _not_  dead. He's  _ **NOT DEAD**_!"

I flailed against their grip and felt Boyd and Isaac grunt as two hands pushed against my stomach, holding me down. "LET GO OF ME!" I roared.

I continued to struggle, before I felt a sharp sting on the side of my neck. I gasped for breath as Allison came into my vision. "I'm sorry, Sindy, but you need to calm down," she said as she blurred.

The last thing I felt, were the three pairs of arms holding me as I fell slump against them.


	54. Healing

**TUESDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 4, 2011**

There was a soft knock on the door.

I continued to sit on my bed, knees pulled to my chest, staring blankly at the wall.

I wasn't sure what had happened exactly. From what Stiles had told me, it took the combined efforts of Boyd, Isaac, and Cora to hold me down, before Allison ultimately drugged me to knock me out. After the fight, they called Stiles, and he was able to sneak me up into my room at home without being caught by Dad.

My lips curled into a sour expression. Was I really home, now? I should be out there, looking for my mate. He wasn't dead – despite what everyone else thought. No. I could feel it. He was out there somewhere – out there alive.

"Sindy?" Stiles called again, muffled through my door. He opened the door quietly, and it was silent. No words were needed between Stiles and I – we could communicate with looks more often than not. I heard him sigh heavily before he sat down at the foot of my bed.

I recoiled my body even tighter.

"He's not dead," I said.

Stiles frowned. "Sindy, the guy was lying in a puddle of his own blood and wasn't moving. I can't imagine what you're going through right now…"

"He's.  _Not._  Dead," I punctuated each word with a low growl. I glanced up and Stiles jumped slightly. I then realized my wolf was starting to come out and blinked rapidly. "Sorry," I apologized. "I – I just need to find Derek."

Stiles nodded quietly. "Want me to stay and help? I can get Scott, Isaac, and Boyd, too."

I shook my head. "No. You guys go to the meet."

"But Sindy, there's safety in numbers."

"The Alpha Pack will be busy dealing with Ennis's own injuries," I responded with a tone a finality. "I'll be fine. Trust me."

My brother stared at me, with eyes so much like my own. "Okay, fine," Stiles huffed. "But when you're in danger, you  _call_  me, okay? I don't care where I am and if the bus'll turn back. I'll run home if I have to."

I threw a sarcastic smile. "Stiles, the meet's in the next county over."

"Good thing I'm on the cross country team, then," Stiles quipped back. "C'mere," he said, opening his arms. I smiled softly and moved into his touch. He hugged me and I returned the gesture. My brother then reluctantly released me and pointed at the open door. "I should go now… Don't wanna miss the bus."

I nodded softly and Stiles gave me a small kiss on top of my head, before leaving, closing the door behind him.

I heard the jeep pull out of the driveway, before the sound faded off into the distance. I looked down at my toes, wiggling them quietly.

Derek liked my toes. He liked the way they'd curl when I'd writhe underneath his touch, and I personally liked the way they feel so small, delicate, and feminine – even more than usual around Derek.

_Derek._

I had to find him.

The others said they had gone back to retrieve Derek's body, but found his – along with Ennis's – missing. They assumed the Alphas took them after they left.

I believed Derek somehow managed to get out of there himself. I didn't tell them that, though, because they were adamant that Derek was dead.

But they couldn't feel what I felt.

They couldn't feel that somewhere… somewhere out there, Derek's scent lingered in the air.

Deciding that wallowing in my misery wasn't going to help much, I stood up firmly. I almost fell when my legs briefly gave away, numb from not moving for hours on end.

I grabbed my car keys, before changing into something more decent and slipping on socks and boots. I climbed into my car, and drove off, deciding to head to the loft first.

I pushed open the door, leaving it wide open behind me as I stepped into the loft. I walked over to the bed, tossing myself down on it. Immediately, the intertwined scents of both Derek and I filled my nostrils, going down my throat, and into my chest cavity. My heart clenched tightly before it began to throb and I grabbed a pillow – Derek's pillow – to my chest.

His woodsy scent filled me as I inhaled sharply. A warmth settled through me, the tension in my muscles relaxing. I could feel my eyelids get heavy, sleep threatening to take over me. I had woken up shortly on the way back to my house, but didn't say anything. I hardly spoke except, "He's not dead," to everyone until this morning with Stiles.

I blinked heavily, but then what I heard next stopped me.

"…  _Sindy…"_

I sprang up from the bed, looking around. My eyes darted to every edge, every corner, every nook and cranny of the loft.

"Derek?" I whispered quietly.

" _Sindy…"_ Derek's pained, tired voice struggled out, but… it wasn't here. I closed my eyes, trying to picture where he was. A familiar flash of the woods and a few buildings popped into my mind.

When my eyes snapped open, I rushed out of bed, almost tumbling out of it. I darted out of the loft, heading towards my car.

To be honest, it was probably just my imagination or wishful thinking, but somehow… just  _somehow_ , I knew that Derek needed me somewhere. And he needed me right now.

The tires of my car screeched loudly as I peeled out of the parking spot. I swerved through the semi-empty streets of Beacon Hills, taking the most secluded, fastest way to my destination.

My foot was pretty much to the floor and when I glanced down at the speedometer, it was at 65 miles per hour.  _Don't try this at home, kids,_  I thought bitterly as it sped to 70 once I turned a corner.

Ever since becoming a werewolf, I had been driving much faster now, probably because of my faster reflexes. I heard and saw things way before they happened.

My car spun wildly as I came peeling into the school's parking lot, and I shot out of the car before it even fully came to a stop. I hadn't bothered with my keys as I slid to the ground next to Miss Blake, who was leaning over an unconscious and bloody Derek.

"Derek!" I exclaimed, touching his cheek. "Derek, can you hear me?"

"We need to get him to the hospital," Miss Blake told me.

"No," I stated firmly. "No hospital." I reached for Derek's arm and gripped it firmly, but not too much to hurt. I took away some of his pain, hoping he'd regain some consciousness. "Derek?" I said softly. "If you can hear me, say something, anything."

Miss Blake stood up and paced, pulling out her phone. "This isn't how I imagined our first date," she mumbled quietly, and I could hear her pressing buttons on her phone.

I ignored her comment and looked up at her. "What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm calling for an ambulance," Miss Blake responded. "He  _needs_  one."

"No. He.  _Doesn't_ ," I stressed from where I was kneeling.

"Miss Stilinski – Sindy," she quickly corrected. I ignored the bite in my tongue that said I preferred being addressed by my last name (which was a total lie – but I didn't like her addressing me so closely). "Derek is on the floor,  _bleeding_  and about to  _die_. He  **needs**  a hospital."

" _ **NO!**_ " I jumped up, grabbing Miss Blake's phone. "The police will ask  **questions**. My  _father_  will ask questions as to why my boyfriend is cut up, bleeding, and almost dead. The  **last**  thing Derek needs right now is a hospital. What he needs is  **me**."

I heard a cough and rapidly turned around, missing Miss Blake's furious face. I kneeled back down over my mate. "Derek?"

"S – Sindy," he gasped out. His hand shot out and I leaned down, taking it in mine as he cradled my face softly. I ignored the blood that coated his face and focused on him, focused on taking away some of his pain.

"Derek, we need to get you to a hospital," Miss Blake said, kneeling down next to Derek's other side.

My mate shook his head firmly, before coughing again. "No – no hospitals," he struggled out. "Just Sindy."  _See_?

"C'mon, Romeo," I said, gripping his hand before hoisting him up. Oh thank the heavens for werewolf strength. "I wasn't exactly expecting you to be in  _this_  kind of condition when I whip out that nurse's outfit I bought, but oh well."

Derek chuckled softly before coughing again. I helped him in the passenger seat, popping the seat back so he could lie somewhat-comfortably, before heading to my still-open driver's door. Before I left, I felt a wave of contempt and anger.

Confused, I glanced up, but only saw Miss Blake standing there with an unreadable expression – with a calm aura. I furrowed my brows, but slid into my car, starting it and driving off, this time at a semi-slower pace, since I didn't want Derek flying everywhere and choking on the seatbelt.

We arrived back at Derek's loft in no time, and I helped him out of the car. I sighed heavily. Here was the hard part: the stairs.

How was I supposed to get my muscular, werewolf boyfriend up multiple flights of stairs?  _Ugh_. He outweighed me by a good sixty to seventy pounds and had on ten inches from me.

Well, time to get started.

As I walked up the stairs, I talked to Derek, trying my best to keep him conscious. I wasn't expecting a reply, so I did what I did best as a human: ramble.

"Y'know," I started as I helped him, "I bought a nurse's outfit when I bought that Little Red Riding Hood costume. I figured since I worked at a hospital, it'd be fitting. But… I've never really had the chance. This is probably the most inappropriate time to be mentioning this, but your pecs feel  _amazing_  on me."

I got Derek to chuckle a bit and that was good. Derek laughing a bit was good. It was better than him in pain.

"Ugh," I groaned. "I love your pecs. And your arms. Have I ever told you how amazing they look when you cross your arms? I love it when you do that." I looked at the strong forearm draped over my shoulder. "And your hands. I love everything about you, but I can probably list every little thing I love about you. Granted, it'll be a super long list and take a few days, but I can still probably list it all."

"Oh yeah?" Derek asked weakly.

I nodded, continuing up the stairs with him. "Your eyes were the first I noticed – quite literally. I ended up piecing together that that night Scott was bitten and I saw those blue eyes? They were yours, weren't they? You were spying on us. But my  _God_  – Derek, no matter how ashamed you are of your eyes, I still think they're beautiful. You know why? Because they're a part of you. I don't care if they're green, gold, blue, or red. All I care is the fact that they belong to  _you_.

"Then there was that jaw of yours when I saw you the next day. Oh  _God_. It was just so… stiff and angular, but when I saw you with that five o'clock shadow?  _Phew._ " If I could, I'd fan myself right now. "And I just  _love_  your facial hair. It feels good when you rub it against my skin and it makes my blood boil to no extent. I'm glad you keep it now."

I held his hands firmly and rubbed my thumbs against the top of his hands.

"Your hands are magical, too. Strong, powerful. Just like everything about you. Are you still listening to me fawn over you?" I inquired, realizing Derek hadn't made a chuckle or a comment since I started.

"I – I just…" Derek breathed in heavily. "I never realized how much you paid attention to my appearance."

"Oh, trust me, I'm a teenage girl with raging hormones. I  _have_   **plenty**  of times – including that time we sort-of-officially met in the woods, I can assure you that much," I blurted out. I then flushed and realized I had pretty much admitted that I fantasized about him since the very beginning. Which was  _true_ , but I didn't want him to know  _that_.

"But physical appearance aside, there's also more to your eyes," I told him, grunting softly as I adjusted him. "You try to hide a lot of things on your face, Derek, and sometimes, I can't even pick it up from your feelings, but y'know what? I look at your eyes and I just  _know_. Your eyes hold so much emotion, Derek, but I don't think anyone realizes it because no one looks at them more than I do. I see the love you have for me. I see the guilt you have involving your family – our pack. I see the little glimpses of sadness that you have when you think about your family – even though you've never told me. And I let it slide, because do you know why?"

I was met with silence, but knew he was still listening based on his breathing.

"Because I see the happiness in your eyes when you look at me. You have this faraway look in your eyes sometimes, but then you suddenly turn to me, and I see that sadness morph away. And I'm glad that I can see just how much I make you happy and  _I'm_  so happy that you love me so much. It's like… It's like I make you happy enough to make you forget the pain, even if it's only temporarily."

"You…" Derek exhaled shakily to steady his pain. "You do…" I smiled softly as we finally reached the top. I had thankfully left the loft door opened and realized night had fallen as we stumbled into the loft.

I brought him over to the bed, and both he and I unceremoniously collapsed onto the bed. I struggled to sit up and used my claw to cut through Derek's ruined shirt.

Derek's wound glared angrily at me, the blood an angry dark onyx. I suddenly felt really bad for just pretty much flirting with him as we walked up the steps.

"Don't…" Derek breathed out. "It kept me awake." I gave a small, dry smile. "How bad?"

"Black blood," I reported. "Your body's fighting it off, but…" I bit my lip, when Derek's eyes suddenly rolled to the back of his head – and not in a good way. "Derek?!" I called out, panicked.

I closed my eyes and listened gently.  _Ba-thump… ba-thump… ba-thump…_  It was there. Weak, but still there.

I skimmed against his wounds. They were healing so slowly. Saliva poured at my mouth, and then I remembered a small conversation Derek and I had.

Looking down at the angry, fleshy wounds, it felt absolutely sickening. But... there wasn't anything I wasn't willing to do in order to save Derek.

I hovered over him gently, finding a small wound on his torso. I stuck my tongue out, and gave a strong, firm lick. His muscles contorted the second my tongue made contact, and I grimaced at the metallic, displeasing taste that filled my taste buds.

When I pulled back, my eyes widened.

The small cut that I had licked… right before my very eyes, I could see the skin moving, and the wound begin to close. I rubbed my thumb over the wound, wiping away the smeared blood and saliva, and found it completely unscathed.

"Derek…" I said quietly, looking down at the giant wounds on his shoulders and stomach.

I shut my eyes tightly, before leaning down, and began to clean his wounds.

My eyes were kept firmly shut as I worked. It was just so painful to do. I was glad that Derek didn't tell me to use it often. The taste was absolutely  _bile_  as I could taste every bit of iron, dirt, and grime on his wounds.

What hurt the most, though, was the way his blood would fill my mouth.

I even pulled back a couple of times to sob quietly. Derek in pain gave  _me_  so much pain. Even though I wasn't lying there – unconscious and bleeding – my heart and gut clenched in a way that made me absolutely sick.

I gripped the sheets tightly, continuing to work on his stomach wounds.

I could feel it, though. With every strong, firm, lick, the wound was closing, healing rapidly from my saliva. It would pour into the open wound, and I would hear it take over, the flesh closing itself as it quickly grew back.

Just as the last of his abdominal wounds was healing, I could feel Derek stir. I pulled away, slipping off the bed and onto my knees at the foot of it.

Derek sat up quietly, and I could feel him adjusting himself slowly before his legs fully dangled off the side of it. "Sindy…" he said quietly.

"I – It was the only way…" I said just as softly, looking at the ground. "I – I didn't know what else to do. You could die of blood loss before your wounds even finished healing…"

I hadn't mentioned it, yet, but I could feel the stickiness of his blood from the back of my shirt. It had been bothering me all this time, but I couldn't bring myself to take care of myself first – not when Derek was in this condition.

"There was a reason I didn't want you using it," Derek said quietly. "I didn't tell you, but the more you use it, you practically absorb the pain as your own. It heals, but at the price of you hurting…  _mentally_."

The tears prickled at my eyes and I glanced up at Derek. "I'd rather be the one in pain than to see you hurt."

Derek's gentle eyes stared back at me and he told me quietly, "Sindy… as a True Mate, you already feel more pain that you should feel. Do you know how long it's been since I've seen that smile of yours?"

"I've smiled," I mumbled, wiping at my eyes.

"Small ones," Derek agreed. "But when was the last time you gave me a full, free smile?" I remained quiet, not knowing the answer. "Nineteen days. Not since the morning Isaac entered that ice bath. It was just before I left you at school."

"I – I…" I tried to say, but no words came out. I hadn't even known he kept track of things like that.

A hand reached under my chin, propping it up slightly so I could look up. My eyes met Derek's and I could feel my breath hitch. "I don't say it as often as I should, but I do love you, Sindy. I notice every little thing about you.

"The way you stiffen before relaxing when I enter a room right before you spin around and greet me. The way you keep a sharp eye on your brother at all times – no matter how far you are from him. If he's there, your eyes are watching after him, aware of everything he does. The way you smile softly at Scott and Stiles's antics. You act annoyed, but you enjoy it. The protectiveness and mother-like tendencies you do when Isaac and Boyd – particularly Isaac – are around. The way the right side of your lips curve up first before your left side does. I see the sparkle in your eyes, Sindy, and lately, it's been dwindling, and it hurts me to see you in so much pain."

His eyes softened as he spoke. "I want to see that smile again," he told me truthfully. "But I feel as long as I'm around, you're only going to get dragged deeper and deeper into this black hole. Because  _everyone_ …  _everyone_  around me gets hurt."

"No," I protested, all but standing up and straddling his hips gently. "No. Derek, do you know  _why_  I have that sparkle?" He stayed quiet. "It's because of  _you_. You don't seem to realize it, do you, Derek?"

He looked at me, silently telling me with his eyes to go on.

" _You_  taught me to love," I said softly. His eyes softened considerably as his hands went up to cup my face. "I've always loved Stiles… Scott… Melissa… my father… my mother… But that's it. But since I've met you, Derek? I've learned there was more than just caring about your family. You could care about your friends – your companions that will always be there for you if you call for them.

"Because of you, I've learned to develop a motherly instinct over friends I never thought I'd ever have. Because, Derek? Before you? All I technically had was Stiles and Scott. It wasn't until recently did my dad realize Stiles and I were still there, because he was so hung up on my mother. Melissa was there, but she had to work to maintain for herself and Scott. Yes, I knew people, but only by names. I kept everyone but Stiles and Scott at arms' length. You think I've changed you? Derek, you've changed me more than I could ever dream of.

"And for that? I'm so thankful. And this pain?" I took one of Derek's hand, placing it over my heart. "It'll heal. It's only temporary – ephemeral." The corner of my lips twitched at my usage of the word. "It'll heal, as long as you're here with me. So promise me… to always be with me."

"You don't have to ask me to," Derek replied.

I couldn't help me. Through my watery eyes, I gave him a smile that made my cheeks hurt as the droplets dripped from my orbs. Derek leaned down, placing his forehead on mine as he gave me his own wide, heart-stopping smile.

We leaned in, and when our lips connected, a fire inside of me burned passionately.

He gently picked me up, turning us over briefly so he could place me down on the bed gently.

He pulled back, hovering over me. A hand went to my cheek, stroking the bone there softly. "I love you…"

I gave him another bright smile. "I love you, too." He leaned down, giving me another kiss that had my toes curling, and my heart pounding as it healed every bit of pain I had inside of me.


	55. Hiding the Truth

**THURSDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 6, 2011**

It was a full house tonight and all hands were on deck. While I was normally in the back, putting away files or restocking the shelves, I was in charge of looking over the injured, helping the nurses triage them. A nurse would tell me to coordinate a person with a color, each signifying their severity of injury, and I'd rip the triage before placing it around their neck.

"Level three," the nurse, Jessica, said, and I nodded, ripping the tag to show the green flap before placing it around the person's neck.

"Does  _anybody_  know where Dr. Hilyard is?!" Melissa demanded.

"That's all there is here, Sindy," Jessica told me. "Take five." I nodded mutely and leaned back, sighing heavily just as a familiar scent filled my nostrils.

I glanced to the doorway to see Scott striding in, with a bag of take out for Melissa. I walked over to join the hugging McCalls and Scott extracted himself from his mother to greet me with a hug.

"Is everything okay?" Scott asked, looking around.

I sighed heavily while Melissa responded, "Except for half the accident victims in a ten car pile-up being rerouted here from downtown and the ER attending not answering any of his pages, yeah, we're okay."

"What does not answering pages mean?" Scott questioned.

"It means he's not answering any of his calls or texts or anything," I explained to Scott. "He's MIA."

"So now we have to wait for the on call to get here," Melissa elaborated.

"Miss," a woman said, walking up to Melissa. "Excuse me, can I kind of please have something for the pain?"

I looked down to see that I had marked her with a level two, yellow triage. That meant she had non-life-threatening injuries, but still in pain. I grimaced in sympathy and turned to Scott, who was watching his mother try to soothe the injured woman.

"Try not to get caught," I advised, knowing exactly what he was going to do. Scott glanced at me before giving a minuscule nod and I walked off to see if anybody else needed help.

I had taken away some of the patients' pain when they arrived, too. It was minute, but even taking away the littlest would pain would help in the long run, especially if it eased them from their suffering.

"Someone!" a voice, semi-familiar, called. "Someone help me!"

My head snapped up to see Ethan stumbling in, with a struggling-to-breathe Danny over his shoulders.

I rushed over to my classmates and Ethan looked at me. Melissa came rushing over and we helped Ethan settle Danny into a seat gently.

I backed away as Melissa took care of Danny and we both grabbed Ethan roughly. "What did you do to him?" Scott demanded.

"Nothing," Ethan growled lowly, his eyes flashing a bright red before fading back to his regular brown. "He said he was having chest pains and trouble breathing, but it… it just kept getting worse." He threw the lacrosse player a worried look.

I glanced over and Danny was definitely getting less and less oxygen into his system. I focused my hearing, and could hear his heart working overtime, trying to pump enough oxygen into his blood to keep him from dying.

"Sindy, his larynx has shifted to the side. It think it's tension pneumothorax–" Melissa was abruptly cut off by Danny suddenly lurching, a thick, creamy liquid spurting out of his body, spilling onto the tiled floor.

I barely dodged the splashing, glancing down to see familiar, green leaves.

"Mistletoe," I identified the same time Ethan did. I glanced at him, but he shook his head. I helped Melissa pick up Danny before we moved him to a hospital bed, wheeling into a room.

"Sindy, can you please take the two to the waiting room?" Melissa asked as we pushed Danny's bed in with Ethan and Scott right beside us.

I moved to grab Ethan, but he asked, "Where are the nurses and the doctors? Where is everyone?"

"It's a full house tonight," Melissa replied. "They're tending to other patients."

"Okay, well, Mom, how can  _we_  help?" Scott demanded, looking at his mother.

"Honey, you can't," Melissa said. "His lung is collapsed. His heart is being pushed against his chest cavity, so…" I looked down sympathetically at the struggling Danny.

"He's gonna die, isn't he?" Scott questioned worriedly.

Melissa glanced over her shoulder carefully. "No," she denied. "No, he's not. Scott, you grab the tape." She then pointed at Ethan, "You grab those scissors and cut his shirt open. Sindy, I need you to clear the doors."

I stood by the door, watching Melissa carefully hold the large syringe above Danny's chest. I watched her plunge it in, and could hear Danny's breathing slowly get to normal as Melissa worked on him.

I strode back quickly to Danny's bedside, just as the goalie breathed out, "Thank you."

"No problem," Melissa smiled compassionately back at him. We looked at Melissa in stunned amazement, and she took in all three of our looks. "What?"

"That was awesome," Scott voiced. I nodded in agreement.

"It was no problem, you know?" Melissa brushed off. "I mean, it wasn't a big deal."

"Melissa, you just performed a needle thoracotomy," I breathed out. I knew it was considered a "simple" procedure for doctors, but it was still highly impressive.

Melissa gave me a small smile and glanced at the clock. "Looks like you're off, Sindy." I glanced up and saw it was ten o'clock. Students weren't allowed to work past ten. "Why don't you change and call it a night? I'll look over Danny."

I gave her a small nod, before walking out of the room. I headed to the changing room to change out of scrubs (once the "all hands on deck" call was issued, I was forced to change into them) into my regular clothes.

I walked back outside to see Scott waiting for me. I gave him a small smile before we walked out of the hospital together.

As I walked Scott to his bike, I heard footsteps behind us. Scott and I exchanged looks before we turned to the Alpha, who held up his hands in defense. "I know you're not gonna believe me, but I didn't do anything," Ethan told us.

"All I know is that the minute that you got here, you went right for Danny, and your brother went for Lydia," Scott pointed out.

"Not to mention those looks you two give me in the hallways," I quipped just because.

Ethan turned to me and smirked, "That's because you're fun to tease." I scowled and Ethan's face turned serious again. "We're not gonna hurt him."

"Why should I believe you?" Scott challenged.

"Because we knew one of them was going to be important to you," Ethan responded. "And now we know it's Lydia."

Something caught my attention, and I glanced up. It looked like a drunk driver, with the way the car was swaying left and right, not driving in a straight fashion. The car then crashed, and I dashed towards it before I could even register what had fully happened.

Scott flung the driver's seat open and I was prepared to help the person out, but when I peered inside – there was no one.

Something caught my attention, and I watched as Scott's arm dart out, holding whatever that I had seen. "What is it?" Ethan asked, just as Scott held up a dead moth.

I pulled out my phone, calling my dad to report the incident and Scott and I waited while Ethan left us. Right after I got off the phone with my dad, I called Stiles, knowing he'd want to be here – since two doctors were now officially missing.

"What happened?!" Stiles demanded, barreling out of his jeep a good five minutes later.

"Two doctors are missing," I told Stiles, just in case he had a pattern for this, too. "Scott also found a dead moth in the car."

Dad arrived shortly after Stiles and Scott, Melissa, and I gave our statements. Melissa had come rushing out a few minutes ago and was the one to recognize the car belonged to Dr. Hilyard.

Stiles, Scott, and I were dismissed briefly by Dad, and I turned to look at my twin brother. I rubbed my temples, fatigue from working all day catching up on me.

"These are definitely sacrifices, right?" Scott inquired as I leaned against my brother's arm.

Stiles's arm circled around me and held me as he explained, "Yeah, it's one Deaton mentions: Healers."

"What about Danny?" Scott asked, looking at me. "He threw up mistletoe. That's not a coincidence, and if he hadn't been with Ethan, he probably would've died. Danny's not a healer.

"I…" Stiles trailed off, and I saw him glancing at Dad, who was on the phone. "Can you guys hear that?"

Scott and I honed in our hearing, before reporting, "They found a body."

I bit my lower lip. "And Dr. Hilyard's will be found by tomorrow night, unless we can do something."

"How can we?" Stiles asked, looking down at me. "We don't know where to start, unless you can somehow breeze through medical school in the next twenty-four hours and go be bait, I don't see any option."

"No…" I agreed quietly. "But… someone we  _do_  know is a healer, but we're  _not_  using her as bait…" I glanced over at Melissa, who was still talking to Dad.

Scott looked over at me before saying, "Isaac and I will keep watch over Mom. You two should go home first. I'll see you guys in the morning in school."

I yawned quietly and nodded slowly. I followed Stiles to his jeep, as I had gotten a ride from Derek earlier this morning.

**FRIDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 7, 2011**

"Good morning," Miss Blake greeted, placing her book on the desk. "As you all know, Mr. Harris is still missing – I mean, sick. Anyway, I'm filling in while we all hope and pray for a more qualified substitute to take my place. Okay, so let's get started, shall we?"

"Hey," Stiles nudged Scott. He filled Scott in on what we had heard from our father last night just as my phone vibrated. I anxiously checked it, having received a text from Cora from Derek's phone earlier this morning about the Alpha Pack leaving their symbol on the window of the loft this morning.

 **Isaac Lahey:**  Boyd and I are heading over to Derek's. We're borrowing your car.

 **Sindy Stilinski:**  Did you take my spare keys from the loft again?

 **Isaac Lahey:**  Yup.

 **Sindy Stilinski:**  You should've asked.

 **Isaac Lahey:**  Sorry, Mom. I'll be sure to ask next time.

I smirked at the small nickname Isaac had given me. I don't think he realized it, but these days, he called me "Mom" more often now since that night he talked to me about Allison.

It didn't make me feel old or anything… just…  _special_. Isaac never mentioned his real mother. I know it was a weird term of endearment to use and he used it more sarcastically, but I had no doubts that Isaac was just like a son to me… even if I never had one.

It was then Scott pulled out his own phone and answered in a hushed, rushed voice, "Hey, doc. Sorry, I'm in class right now. Can I call you back later?"

" _Unfortunately, no,"_  Deaton sighed heavily on the other side of the phone.  _"I honestly thought I might never have to burden you like this, but I'm afraid, at the moment, you're my only hope. I'm going to be taken. I need you to find me."_

My eyes widened and Stiles looked at me, heavy questioning in his eyes.

"Doc, doc, doc,  _doc_?" Scott called at the dial tone. "What's happening?" The brunet then sprung up from his seat, barely remembering to grab his backpack before taking off.

"Mr. McCall!" Miss Blake called to his retreating figure.

"Deaton was taken," I said shortly. Stiles and I stood up quickly, gathering our things, before rushing out after Scott.

"Mr. Stilinski! Miss Stilinski!"

"I'll call Dad while you drive. Isaac took my car," I told Stiles as we ran to his jeep. My twin nodded, huffing slightly as we darted through the hallways and out of the school.

I pulled out my phone and just as Dad picked up, I was sliding in the front seat of the jeep.

" _Sindy, aren't you supposed to be in school?"_

"Dad, Scott's boss was taken. He just called him. We're on our way to the animal clinic right now."

" _I'll be there in five."_

Stiles slammed on the gas, peeling out of the parking spot, after Scott's dirt bike as I locked my phone shut.

We followed Scott all the way to the animal clinic. Stiles and I came running in just as Scott was giving his statement to Dad.

We waited quietly while Dad and a couple deputies searched around for clues. I sat on one of the waiting room chairs, a finger over my lips as I contemplated quietly.

Deaton was the third sacrifice… We needed to find him  _and_  I needed to go to the loft and help Derek as soon as I could.

"All right," Dad said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced up past Stiles to see my father look at Scott. "We're doing everything we can. Right now, the best thing you can do is go back to school."

Scott made eye contact with us and signaled us to enter the cat clinic.

"We have to tell him," Scott blurted once we were isolated from the police.

"You mean like, tell him,  _tell him_  or tell him something else that isn't telling him what I think you want to tell him?" Stiles responded.

I bit my bottom lip nervously, hoping to God it was the latter, but Scott confirmed my suspicions when he said, "You know what I mean."

"You remember how your mom reacted?" Stiles pushed. "She didn't look you in the eye for, like, a week." She couldn't look at me either, so I actually had to stay away from her most of the time at the hospital. I couldn't bear to see my  _father_  look at me like that. Like… Like I was some kind of monster…

Scott, feeling my change in mood, placed a hand over my shoulder. "And she got over it," he told us. "And… And it actually made us closer."

"I don't know, dude," Stiles exhaled deeply. "I mean, look at him." He gestured outside the window of the door. "Come one, he's completely overwhelmed as it is."

"He's overwhelmed because he has  _no clue_  what's happening," Scott refuted. "He's got people dying in his town, the town that  _he's_  supposed to protect, and it's not his fault that he doesn't know what's happening. He's gonna find out sooner or later."

"Yeah, but is now really the right time?" Stiles shot.

"What if not telling him not gets someone else killed?"

"What if telling him gets  _him_  killed, huh?" Stiles snapped up, looking at our best friend. "I mean, okay, look, I get that Deaton's been like a father to you. I get that, okay? But this is – Scott, this is our  _actual father_. We can't… We can't lose both of our parents, all right? Not both of them?"

Stiles and I always said that all we had was each other – and it was true to an extent, but that didn't mean that we wouldn't do anything to keep our father (and Scott) safe.

Telling him might be the best thing right now, but was it really? Was it worth the risk?

Scott sighed heavily, making me snap out of my thoughts. "You're right."

Stiles and I looked at each other and realized, "No," we said together.

"I'm not," Stiles elaborated. "I'm not right. C'mon, Sindy, let – let's go tell him." He grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. I returned it, making sure to not use too much force.

Scott stood up straight and said, "I'll help you guys." My brother and I nodded together and we exited the small room.

"Please," Ms. Morrell said, looking at Dad. "Whatever you need, however you can help find my brother."

My hand was still clasped in Stiles's as Dad asked to be excused before the guidance counselor – French teacher – druid –  **whatever**  she was (all of them?) came striding over to us.

"Okay, listen closely, the three of you," she addressed us. "No sheriff, deputy, or detective is going to be able to find him."

"You don't have to ask us for help," Scott told her.

"Actually, I'm trying to help  _you_ , because if you're going to find my brother, then you need to use the  _one_  person who might actually have an ability to seek out the supernatural."

Stiles, Scott, and I all looked at each other, before my brother and I sighed out in unison, "Lydia."

We drove back quickly to school, just as students were evacuating the school because the fire alarm was pulled.

"How convenient," I shrugged, opening the door to the jeep and stepping out. I sniffed the air, looking for Lydia. I paused, catching a familiar scent.

"What is it?" Stiles asked, looking at me.

I blinked. "Cora's here," I told him, before we strode into class quickly. "What the hell is Cora doing here? She should be with Derek…" I followed the scent trail Cora left, weaving through various high school students as I did so. "She's with Lydia."

We found them in the coach's office, with Cora holding Lydia's forearm harshly. "Let go," the strawberry demanded. "I said–"

"Let go," Stiles interrupted. "She said, let go."

"Why should I?" Cora demanded. "She's fraternizing with the enemy."

"We kind of need her for something else right now," I told her, extracting Cora's hand from Lydia's wrist gently. I pushed the slightly taller girl behind me while looking at the female werewolf. I turned to Stiles and said, "Take her to the chem class. I'll be right there."

Stiles nodded, taking Lydia away while I turned back to Cora.

"What are you doing here? You should be with Derek?"

"He's with Boyd and Isaac filling the loft with water to run an electric current through the room," Cora reported. "Why aren't  _you_  with him?"

I sighed heavily. "Believe it or not, Cora, I'm not with him 24/7," I informed her. She quirked an eyebrow at me. "Maybe 20/7," I elaborated. "The thing is, Scott's boss was taken, and now we need Lydia to help track him down."

"And you think  _she_  might be able to help?" Cora inquired.

"It's worth a shot. I'll be over at Derek's as soon as possible," I told my mate's younger sister. … Does that make her my sister-in-law through mating?

Cora sighed heavily. "I'll help," she declared. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can have Scott and you helping Derek take on the Alphas." I nodded, silently agreeing with her, and she followed me to the chemistry class.

I popped open the door just in time to see Stiles slam something on the desk in front of Lydia.

"A Ouija board?" Lydia inquired as Cora took a seat beside Lydia while I stood next to Stiles.

"Also called a spirit board," Stiles quipped easily. "And it's worth a shot."

"A shot in the dark," Lydia responded.

"Could you just try it, please, okay?" Stiles looked at his crush of ten-plus years. "Let's not forget who this is fore, Scott's boss, the guy who has saved our collective asses more than one occasion."

"Okay, wait, so do we  _all_  do this?" Cora inquired, gesturing to the board.

"Yeah," Stiles nodded. "Yeah." He navigated me so I stood directly in front of Lydia. I placed my hand on the planchette, along with the others. "You guys ready?"

I nodded while Lydia and Cora gave their confirmation.

"Where's Dr. Deaton?" Stiles asked.

We waited for a couple seconds, then a few seconds, then a minute passed… and then another minute passed.

I glanced up at Lydia, taking in her broad forehead, perfectly drawn eyebrows, perfectly done make-up, small nose, and full lips. Over all, her perfect appearance. … And she was doing nothing.

"What?" she asked, once she realized all of us were looking at her.

"Aren't you gonna answer it?" Stiles looked at Lydia questioningly.

"Oh, I don't know the answer," Lydia shook her head. "I thought we were asking some sort of spirit."

"Well, do you  _know_  any spirits?" Cora looked at Lydia.

The emerald-eyed girl blinked before look at Stiles and me. "Is she for real?"

I sighed heavily before gathering the Ouija board, putting it away back in its box. "Next method," I nodded to my brother.

"Okay, these are Deaton's keys from the clinic," Stiles said, holding out a set of keys. "Close your eyes and I'm gonna put 'em in your hand, and then we're just gonan try and see if you can feel out for his location. It's called psychometry."

"I'm not a psychic," Lydia denied.

"You're  _ **something**_!" Stiles yelled. "Okay? Just – Lydia, put out your hand and…" He placed them in the girl's open hand and the girl jumped slightly, making a small humming noise. "What?"

Lydia looked at Stiles. "They're cold."

Stiles sighed, face scrunching up cutely like an annoyed little puppy, "Lydia, concentrate, please? Trying to save lives here. For the love of God…" We waited quietly, until Lydia's face scrunched up. How could she scrunch her face and  _still_  look attractive? "Yeah, what is it? What do you see?" Stiles demanded.

"Nothing," Lydia shook her head. I pursed my lips, taking the keys from her.

I glanced at Stiles, hoping he had at  _least_  one more plan. Stiles nodded shortly, seeing my small questioning. "Last one," he informed me, taking out a notepad. He placed it in front of Lydia.

"Automatic writing?" she asked when Stiles handed her an HB 2 pencil. Stiles nodded and she sighed, taking the pencil before drawing on the lined paper.

I furrowed my brows as I looked at what she was doing, and Stiles voiced my questioning, "Lydia, what are – what are you doing? What – what the hell is that?"

"A tree."

"A tr – Lydia, you're supposed to be writing  _words_ , like in sentences, something like a  _location_ , something that would tell us where he is."

"Well, maybe you should've said that."

"Isn't she supposed to be some kind of genius?" Cora looked at me for answers.

"Genius? Yes," Lydia confirmed. "Psychic, no. Honestly, I don't know  _why_  you're even bothering with me, anyway. I mean, especially since it's obvious you should be talking to Danny."

"Wait, what? Why Danny?" Stiles looked for explanation.

"Because," I heard Scott's familiar voice say. I glanced up to see him holding his shoulder, blood slightly leaking out from it. "Last night, he  _was_  a target. But it wasn't a sacrifice."

I rushed over to Scott. "Are you okay?" I demanded. "What happened?"

"Deucalion was here," Scott told me. "I'm okay. He just stabbed me with his stick. It's almost done healing."

The bell then rang and we knew that we had to go. Stiles and Cora sprung up with Lydia after Scott and I and we left the room.

"But isn't Danny still in the hospital?" Cora looked at all of us as we strode quickly through the hallways.

"Yeah," Stiles nodded. "That's where we're going right now."

"I'll meet you there," Scott told us, glancing up from his phone.

"Why?" Stiles and I asked at the same time.

Scott whirled around, showing us a text from Allison, saying she had found something.

I turned to Stiles and grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

Twenty minutes later, I opened the door to Danny's room, and my brother followed quietly behind me. He walked over to the unconscious boy and asked. "Danny, you awake?" He shook the boy's shoulders. "Danny?" He tapped his face.

"Stiles!" I scolded in a harsh whisper. "Leave him alone!"

"Wait!" Stiles responded, and gave a light backhand on the boy's cheek. Danny moved in his sleep, making Stiles back up into me. I gripped my brother's shoulders to keep him from running over me.  _Damn height_ , I mentally cursed. "Wow," my brother whispered to me.

I rolled my eyes, bending down to go through Danny's stuff. Stiles bent down next to me and started going through his bag.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked, voice laced with sleep.

Stiles paused in his searching, popping his head up to look at the boy. "I'm not doing anything, Danny. This is just a dream that you're having."

… My brother, ladies and gentlemen.

"Why are you going through my stuff?" Danny mumbled.

"Right, but only in the  _dream_ , remember?  _Dream._   **Dreaming~** " I smacked Stiles lightly. "Ow!" he whispered.

"Don't converse with him," I scolded in a whisper.

"Why would I dream about you going through my stuff?"

Stiles shot up, unable to resist a retort. "I don't know that, Danny, okay? It's  _your_  dream. Take responsibility for it. Now shut up and go back to sleep." Stiles then pulled out a stack of papers and I turned to glare at him when he began to excitedly hit me. I gave him a good whack. " _Ow_!"

"Stop hitting me!" I said.

"Stop hitting  _me_!" Then he shoved the papers he found at me excitedly. "Look what Danny boy found. He might've actually found something here."

Rolling my eyes, I saw it was already sunset outside.  _Jeez_ , where did the time go? I grabbed Stiles by the collar and all but dragged him out of the room. With my free hand, I started calling Scott.

He quickly filled us in on what Allison had found for us before saying,  _"Deaton's got to be at one of the six locations, but they're all over town. I don't know how we can get to all of them fast enough."_

"Well, we might not have to," Stiles said from beside me. "Danny was doing a project on something for Mr. Harris's physics class, and I think it actually means something."

" _What project?"_

"Something on telluric currents," I supplied for them while my brother took my phone. In response to that, I took the proposal Danny had away from him.

" _Did you say_ currents _?"_

"Yeah," Stiles nodded before we picked up the pace, my boots clacking against the pavement loudly. We climbed into Stiles's jeep before he drove off to the clinic.

Stiles and I all but burst into the back of the room, seeing Scott, Lydia, and Cora already there waiting for us.

"Danny's homework has something," I announced, holding it up before handing it to Stiles.

"Okay, so, what does this kid's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" Cora inquired.

"Because it's not just homework, okay?" Stiles looked at the female-born werewolf. "It's a project on geomagnetic fields. They flow through the earth. They can even be affected by lunar phases, all right? Now, look at this." He flipped to a page and showed it to all of us. "This is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal."

"'I strongly advise you to choose another subject. The ideas here, while innovative and thoughtful, border on pseudo-science. Not suitable for class,'" Lydia read out loud for us to hear.

"Harris wasn't just a sacrifice," Scott realized. "He knew something."

I gave a small noise of confirmation as my brother sprung into action. "Now, check this out." Stiles unfolded the papers that was stuck in-between Danny's papers. "Allison's dad wasn't the only one with a map, all right? Danny had one, too." He placed the large map on the table. "Danny marked all the telluric currents, okay? Now, the weird thing about Beacon Hills is that it actually  _is_  a beacon. You wouldn't believe how much energy flowing through the earth is around this town."

"Stiles, Sindy, look, they match," Scott declared, showing the blueprints of Allison's dad's maps. "All right, there's three places, right?" He pulled out a pen. "Where they're kidnapped," he circled a location, "and then the place where their body was found."

"Look," Lydia said, pointing at the maps. "That's right on the telluric current."

"So, maybe where he was sacrificed is somewhere in between," Scott declared.

"Let me see that," Stiles announced, taking the pen. "You said there's six more bodies to be found. Deaton's one of them. Got to be somewhere in between, right?"

"Wait," I announced just as Cora declared, "Stop." She reached forward, grabbing onto Stiles's hand the same time I did.

We held Stiles's hand, moving it to follow the current. "He's in the vault," Cora announced. "He's in the same vault."

I moved to gather the stuff, but then stopped when my phone vibrated.

 **Isaac Lahey:**  Plan didn't work. Power's cut. Need you NOW. Derek fighting 1 on 1 with Kali.

"Wait, guys, hold on," Lydia called.

"Lydia, we don't have time!" my brother exclaimed, but then saw I wasn't behind him.

"It's Boyd," Cora announced, looking down at her own phone. "The plan didn't work. They cut the power."

"Isaac needs us right  _now_ ," I added, turning to look at Scott and Stiles. "Derek's fighting Kali one on one right now."

"It's just like he said," Scott whispered. "Go," he said, nodding to me. "I can save Deaton myself."

"What? Scott, what about us?" Stiles exclaimed before our best friend could run off.

"Cora and Sindy can't get there fast enough without you. Go. We can save both of them."

"All right, let's go," Stiles announced before we all darted off.

Lydia and Cora hurriedly rushed to the back while I ran to the driver's seat. "I'll drive," I declared, looking up at Stiles. "I have faster reflexes. I can get us there faster without any problem."

Stiles nodded, handing me his keys before darting around to slide into the passenger seat. I started up Stiles's jeep, moving the stick shift.

The wheels squealed loudly as I peeled off, my foot almost completely to the ground. I could hear Stiles, Lydia, and Cora holding on tightly as I made crazy swerves through the shortcuts of Beacon Hills to get to the downtown area faster.

Bordering at eighty miles per hour, I knew if I was human, I would've lost control already. As I turned down the corner, the jeep lurched to a stop next to my car.

I popped out of the door, barely remembering to grab the keys and shut the door before flying into the building.

"We need to get to the box," I announced, not heading directly upstairs. It pained me to do so, but I had to do this. I could hear the fighting going on – the roaring, the… the crying?

I sniffed the air, and furrowed my brows, recognizing Miss Blake's scent. What the hell was she doing here?

"Okay, what do we do?" Stiles asked.

I tossed Stiles my phone, who caught it easily. "Stiles, text Isaac as soon as we finish pulling all the levers. Cora, Lydia, pull them all up."

I grabbed the first switch and flipped it up, and Lydia and Cora did the same. I The lights started to slowly come back on, and I told Stiles, "NOW!"

I didn't even wait for the three as I darted off, heading up the stairs, stepping two or three at a time. My lungs protested greatly, and I could hear Kali order, "Take him!"

No. No. No. Please. Please, no.

No.

I almost tripped over Isaac's body as I came to an abrupt stop. I watched as Boyd choked on air, and collapse into Derek's arms.

"I'm giving you until the next full moon, Derek," Kali announced. "You and Sindy." She glared at me with her blood red eyes. "Make the smart choice. Join the pack, or next time, I'm killing  _all_  of you."

I bristled defensively as Kali, Ethan, and Aiden brushed past me. Once they were fully gone, I darted towards the two.

"Boyd," I sighed out, sliding to the ground next to the two males.

"It's okay," he breathed out, while my mate looked at him in panic.

"No, no, no, no, it's not. It's not," Derek shook his head.

"It's all okay, Derek," Boyd said.

"I'm – I'm sorry."

My heart throbbed painfully, feeling the anguish, regret, and despair flowing off of Derek. I clenched my fists tightly, feeling blood drip down my hands as my claws dug into my palms.

"The full moon," Boyd whispered out. "That feeling… that was worth it… There's a lunar eclipse… I always wondered what – what that felt like for one of us… For one of us…"

His eyes got all glassy as a faraway look filled his face. "I – I'm ready. Ready to see Erica again."

Why wasn't I able to do anything?

"I – I can heal you," I declared. "I can do it."

"No," Boyd shook his head. "No. Please… don't. Not for me, Sindy."

"Boyd," I said softly, just before he fell to the ground, splashing the water around us.

I could hear it.

I could hear nothing.

No heartbeat, no breath.

Cora came rushing in towards us, sliding to the ground next to Boyd. She cried over his body, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"No," I shook my head. Not another pack mate. Not another one. "No, no, no." I glanced up. "Derek…?"

My mate glanced down at me, and I could see the anguish in his eyes. "Sindy…" he whispered, a complete look of lost all over him.

Without another word, I grabbed Derek's shoulder, pulling me towards him. The emotions all burst, and I sobbed into Derek's chest.

His arms snaked around me, gripping me tightly, so tightly, it was getting harder to breathe. Or maybe it was just me.

We held onto each other like we were our lifelines, and… at the moment, it was probably true. Derek's fingers dug into me as he gripped me tightly.

"Don't… Don't leave me," he said softly into the crook of my shoulders.

"I won't," I assured him, voice muffled due to his chest. "I'm right here. I'll  _always_  be right here."


	56. Smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter than usual, but... eh.

**SATURDAY  
** **DECEMBER 13, 2003**

**THIRD PERSON**

A young little brunette chucked a giant pillow at the fort that was built before her. "You all are poopy-heads!" she shouted angrily at the two boys that poked their heads out from behind the couch. "Are you dead?!  **NO**!"

She huffed as she threw another pillow at them. She then pivoted her heel, storming out of her house and slamming it shut.

A quiet silence filled the house as the two boys looked at the closed door, before turning to each other.

A young Scott McCall looked at his best friend, Stiles, as Stiles's younger twin sister, Sindy, stormed out of the house in a huff.

"She's right," Scott said to Stiles. "We're still alive. Does that mean cooties don't really exist?"

"Who knows?" Stiles asked, turning to his friend. "I think. Or maybe Sindy's just special 'cause she's been with me since the very beginning. Maybe we're immune."

"Kinda like after we get our shots and can't get sick?"

"Sorta," Stiles shrugged. "We still  _do_  get sick, 'member last month?"

"Oh yeah," Scott realized. His face scrunched up in displeasure before he said, "I threw up everywhere."

"Ewww," Stiles cringed, turning to his best friend. "Maybe  _you_  got cooties."

In a park not so far away from the Stilinski household, a young, fifteen-year-old Derek Hale sat underneath a tree.

He sighed heavily, leaning back against the trunk as he thought over the events that had occurred last week.

Looking down at his hands, he flashed back to when his hands were stained with blood.  _Her_  blood. Clenching his fists tightly, he could feel his eyes glow, and knew they were a horrible electric blue.

The electric blue of a wolf who took an innocent's life.

He glanced up as a flash of white passed by him, unceremoniously plopping down a couple feet from him. He pursed his lips, choosing to observe the girl before he would ask her to leave.

The little girl sniffled gently, wiping away her tears with her bare arms as she pulled her stocking-clad legs up to her chest. "Stupid Stiles," she mumbled. "Stupid Scott."

She mumbled under her breath, and despite his solemn mood, he couldn't help but crack a smile when she grumbled out, "I don't have cooties."

Derek was taken aback when the girl suddenly froze before raising her head. She turned in his direction, and he saw the glassy, semi-focused look on her face. He watched caramel-colored eyes widen, before she squeaked, hiding her head into her arms.

Derek couldn't help it. He laughed at the sight of the little girl, and heard the flutter of her heartbeat as her cheeks got pinker. She peeked out from behind her arms at Derek, and he froze when he saw her eyes were swimming with tears.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I – I wasn't laughing  _at_  you," he attempted to explain. "It – It's just… you're so cute and funny." The young girl blushed and Derek smiled. "I'm Derek."

"Sindy…" the little girl mumbled out shyly.

Derek smiled for the first time in a week and extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sindy."

Sindy moved to take his hand, but then stopped. She looked at Derek and frowned. "My brother and best friend say I have cooties."

"I don't think you do," Derek replied honestly, going with her troubles. It felt refreshing to meet a little girl who only had to worry about her friends saying she has cooties. "Do  _you_  think you do?"

"N – No," Sindy stuttered. "But… I don't know." She frowned, a wrinkle forming between her brows. "Scott  _was_  sick for a long time." Maybe she  **did**  have cooties. Her brown eyes widened largely and she looked at the older boy in shock. "What if I  **do**  have cooties?!" Her tiny hands shot up, slapping against her slightly chubby cheeks in astonishment.

Derek couldn't help it.

He let out a bark of laughter, throwing his head back. Oh  _man_ , this girl was hilarious, he thought. It felt so freeing to smile and laugh from the depths of his stomach again.

Sindy's bottom lip began to tremble, looking up at the older boy. She couldn't believe he was laughing at her! Before she could say anything, he spotted the sad look on her face, and he shook his head, gasping out, "N – No. I – I'm not laughing at you."

"But you  _are_  laughing," the little girl pointed out, her bottom lip jutting out into an adorable pout.

The young boy looked at the girl and responded, "Yeah, but that's because of your expression. It's so funny. You don't have cooties, trust me."

"How do  _you_  know?"

"Because I'm allergic to cooties," Derek lied easily. "I break out in red rashes if there's cooties around right away. I'm still fine."

" _Ohhh_!" Sindy exclaimed.

It fell silent, and Sindy turned to look at her companion. Feeling her eyes on him, Derek turned, surprised to see how gentle her brown eyes were. "What is it?" he asked.

"Are you happy now?"

Derek blinked blankly at her. "What?"

"Are you happy now?" the little girl repeated. "You were pretty sad when I came." She paid attention to her surroundings! It was a lesson her daddy always told to do.

The young werewolf looked at the girl and opened his mouth to reply, when he was interrupted by two loud, semi-high pitched voices calling out,  _"SINDY!"_

The brunette's head snapped up at that, and she turned. A wide smile spread onto her face before she got up. "It was nice talking to you, Derek!" Without another word, she darted off, leaving the boy with his green eyes trailed after the young girl.

 _What a strange kid_ , he thought to himself, shaking his head.

He watched her tackle a pale boy while another brunet boy looked on, laughing happily. The second boy's eyes then widened, before the little girl tackled him, as well, and all three were on a dogpile on the ground, laughing cheerfully.

 _Must be nice to be kids,_  Derek thought out.  _Normal,_ human _kids._  He was also glad the girl left before he could reply.

It would've been difficult to explain that he wasn't happy. He could have lied, but it wouldn't have been the same, and the taste would be too bitter. He lied enough to humans.

 **SUNDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 9, 2011**

**SINDY STILINSKI**

I stepped over the rocks as Derek held onto my hand gently, leading me somewhere.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice breaking the silence of the night sky.

My mate simply turned back to look at me before facing forward, his hand tightening around mine. I squeezed it gently in return.

I stepped over the small dirt hills easily as Derek led me forward, when I spotted a semi-rundown building.

As we stepped closer, a scratched up, giant spiral glared at me angrily, and I could feel the contempt and dark feelings that filled the building hit my senses, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.

"Derek?" I asked quietly. He led me silently inside the building, and I realized it was an abandoned distillery. "… Derek?" I questioned my unresponsive mate.

"This is where I first saw him," Derek told me quietly. I glanced up, taking in his angular, handsome face. His eyes were filled with sadness and regret. I could feel it rolling off of him in waves, and my heart clenched painfully. "Where I saw the Alpha that bit Paige."

I pursed my lips shut and looked up at Derek, while he stared at the spiral, which allowed the moonlight to seep into the building. "I was with Paige that night," he told me. "We often came here for some privacy."

Despite the fact that he was talking about a past lover of his, I didn't feel any contempt or dislike for the human girl Derek had fallen for. She was way before my time, and I don't mean to sound cocky or anything, but I had no doubts that Derek loved me and only me.

"He wanted vengeance against the Hunters," Derek continued quietly. "Because they had killed one of his. He's the one the carved the spiral on the side."

I looked away from Derek to take a look at the spiral briefly before turning back to him.

"I was getting worried about Paige finding out about who…  _what_  I was," Derek said. "Peter suggested I get an Alpha to bite her, but my mother would never do it. So… so I went to him. I heard her screams of terror."

His hand squeezed mine painfully, but I ignored it.

"I – If I had gone out to stop him sooner, she'd probably still be alive," Derek said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I didn't. Instead, I waited too long and ended up being too late. There she was, gasping in pain, black blood pouring from her body as it rejected the Bite."

His eyes closed, hiding the pale green in his orbs. My hand was squeezed even more. I bit my cheek to avoid saying anything about the pain.

"I brought her somewhere. I can't remember where. My mother erased where I was exactly," Derek told me. "But… But I remember holding her in my arms. She said she knew. She knew I was different from the start… and… and she still loved me. And I suppose, at the time, I loved her as well."

He opened his eyes, glancing down at me. His grip on my hand loosened, and I felt flexed my hands to increase the blood flow to heal faster. He trailed his right hand up my side, my arm, my shoulder, before cupping my cheek.

I leaned into his touch like I always did.

"You're so beautiful…" he muttered, more to himself than to me. His thumb stroked my cheek bone and I blinked up at him. "You remind me of her, but you evoke much more inside me… A protectiveness, a love, a bond." His other hand went up to cup my other cheek and both of his thumbs stroked me gently. "I never want you hurt, but since meeting me, you've been hurt more in these nine months than you probably have your whole life."

My right hand went up, running over his strong, clothed forearm before splaying over his left hand on my cheek. "I'd go through it all over again if I could be with you."

"I don't know if it's worth it," Derek replied, his eyes growing slightly glassy. "I don't know if  _I'm_  worth it."

I grabbed his hand tightly, no longer gently cradling it. " _Don't_  say that," I ordered. "You're worth  _everything_  I've gone through and  _more_ , Derek. No one deserves love more than you do."

And it was true. Losing his first love at the age of just fifteen… losing his entire family at sixteen… Then losing his sister, his guardian… For the past few years, Derek's life has always been filled with pain. I wanted to stop that. I wanted to fill it with the love and the happiness he deserved.

My hand moved from his and I entwined my fingers together around the back of his neck. His hands dropped to my shoulders and I stood on my toes, pulling his head down so his lips hovered over mine, his eyes still locked on my own.

"You're worth everything, Derek," I said, feeling my hot breath leave my lips, bounce against his, and hit me again. "I love you, and don't ever doubt it."

Without waiting for a response, I pulled him down to me fully, standing on the tips of my toes as our lips met.

Derek inhaled sharply and I felt his arms go around my waist. He pulled me flushed against him, our bodies molding together like two pieces of a fitted puzzle.

Our lips pressed against one another, and I slipped my tongue inside his mouth.

His hands gripped the side of my hips tightly, pulling me so there wasn't even a centimeter between our bodies. I ran my fingers into his thick, smooth locks, my tongue rubbing against his gently.

"Derek…" his name escaped from my lips breathlessly as he moved his head slightly. I turned my head to the side, revealing the side of my neck to him, gasping softly when he lightly nibbled against my jawline before moving southward to my neck.

He purred against the crook of my neck gently, but instead of relaxing me, my body tensed with anticipation. I gripped the back of his shirt so tightly my knuckles were probably straining white.

He muttered my name softly, the sound rumbling through my body. He moved back to my lips, capturing my lips with his. Our teeth clashes, our tongues danced, and our lips bruised against each other.

He pulled away from me, and our heavy breathing echoed in the empty distillery. He rested his forehead against mine softly, and I slowly peeled open my eyelids.

My brown eyes slowly revealed themselves to Derek's dark – from lust – green ones. I tried to calm my steady heart rate, but he kissed my lips again, sending my heart into another tumble of skips. Heat rose onto my face, and he chuckled softly under his slightly breathless breath.

His hands moved up, cupping my face. The pads of his large thumbs rubbed against my cheekbones gently, before he breathed out, "You're a minx but such an innocent little squirrel at the same time. How is that possible?"

"… What…?" I asked after a small moment of silence. He was talking? I was just so focused on the way his thumbs rubbed gently circles, massaging my skin, sending tingles all throughout my body.

Derek chuckled again before continuing. "You've always found a way to make me laugh – to smile. And it's… it's liberating," he confessed. "Even as a child?"

"… What?" I asked again. I was actually listening this time, but I didn't get what he was saying. "What do you mean even as a child?"

"It's a faint memory, but… I remember," Derek told me, his eyes focused on me, but not at the same time. Did that make sense? "I remember sitting under a tree about a week after Paige had died. And then you, in your little innocence, comes, pouting about your brother and Scott, I assume, saying you have cooties."

I furrowed my brows, trying to recall the incident he was talking about. I remembered throwing pillows at the two boys for being stupid… and then I left the house… "That was  _you_?!" I exclaimed, pulling back briefly.

"Yeah," Derek nodded, and he pulled me back into his arms, not liking that I was too far away. I snuggled deep into his broad, strong chest. I didn't like being far away from him, either. "It came to me in a dream a couple nights ago, after I had a nightmare about Paige."

I frowned, tracing a small, random pattern on his shirt. I could feel his hard, warm muscles beneath the cloth. I inhaled his scent deeply, taking in the woodsy smell of him that brought me comfort.

In response to my affection, he pulled me close to him, before rubbing his nose gently on the top of my head. "I'd forgotten myself," he told me. "But then I had a dream – a memory – of a small girl crying about having cooties."

I blushed softly, remembering the time. Vaguely, I could see myself pouting under a tree as a kid, and it made sense: there was an older boy right next to me.

I pushed down my slight embarrassment, before wrapping my arms around Derek, hugging him semi-tightly. "Who would've thought you'd end up with a girl with cooties?"

"If I remember correctly, you didn't have cooties," Derek responded simply. "I'm allergic to them. I'll break out in rashes at the soonest contact to them. I'm fine."

"You are," I answered quirkily, and I felt Derek's chest rumble in amusement. I pulled back so I could look at my mate. "You're  _very_  fine, to be specific," I purred, my eyes getting half-lidded.

Just like I wanted to, Derek broke out in a smile, before leaning down, kissing me. A contented sigh left my lips as I returned the kiss gleefully.

Pulling back, Derek confused me greatly when he suddenly said, "Yes."

I blinked, not sure what he meant. "What?" my voice slightly rose as the confusion filled my every pore. "I thought that was  _my_  response for a different question," I teased.

The corner of Derek's lips twitched before he said, "When I ask that question, you'll know. But I'm answering your question from back then."

"What did I ask?" I vaguely remembered Derek – there's no way I could remember what I actually talked about with him.

He opened his mouth and responded, "You asked if I was happy, because, I was, in your words, 'pretty sad' when you came. And before I could answer, you darted off to Stiles and Scott. That was pretty rude, by the way."

"You shouldn't be lecturing about manners," I teased, knowing Derek was  _very_  blunt, and didn't give two shits about hurt feelings. "So… your answer is–"

"Yes," Derek said. "I am happy, even with all the shit going around, with the Alphas, with the Darach… I'm…  _happy_."

I smiled softly and responded airily, "Good… because I am, too." I stood on the tips of my toes, placing my lips over Derek's plump, soft ones again. I would never get tired of kissing him, and what better way to seal it than with a kiss?


	57. Recuperating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler smut chapter. ;P

**MONDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 10, 2011**

"I hate you guys so much," I groaned as I all but limped out of the spa.

"You get used to it," Lydia quipped.

I glowered at the whatever-she-was. "I just spread my legs to a stranger, had her put warm wax on me, and literally  _rip_  it off  _every inch_  of me."

"Don't you have super werewolf healing?" Allison quipped from where she stood.

I frowned. "It's working, but not as fast as I'd like it to." My nose scrunched in distaste of the feeling of no hair between my legs.  _Ugh_.

Lydia and Allison had literally all but dragged me to go out today. We ditched school and they dragged me to the mall to go to some spa.

I'll admit, as I was never privileged to enjoy these things, it felt really good.

… Until the full body wax Lydia signed us up for.

Lydia let out a small laugh, making Allison and I turned to her. "It's just… You've been  _shot at_  before, and you're complaining about a little  _waxing_."

"Lydia, hair was torn from my vaginal lips," I frowned. I shifted my legs and felt the naked lips rub against each other. "I don't think there's any worse pain than actual childbirth itself."

Lydia and Allison gave me small, pursed smiles. We were trying, but it was a bit hard moving on from last week's events. And it wasn't even close to being over.

Something caught my scent and I stiffened.

_Blood._

I angled my head to turn back to Lydia and Allison, who were talking. "I…" I formed a small excuse in my head quickly, "I just remembered I needed to do something. I'll catch you guys later."

It was better for them to be far away from what was going to occur. I had a feeling it wasn't going to be pleasant, and I wanted them  _far_  away, where they were safe.

Lydia looked at me before asking, "You sure? We could go with you."

"No," I denied, shaking my head. "No, it's fine. Do you mind dropping my bags off at my house? Stiles should be there by now."

"Sure," Allison nodded, taking my shopping bags. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

I gave the two girls nods before walking away from them. I pursed my lips and turned at the corner, making a beeline right towards the woods.

Once I was deep inside, I glanced around.

"I thought we had until the next full moon," I declared.

There was no response – only the chirps of a few birds.

I furrowed my brows, feeling the hair on the back of my neck stand. "Ethan?" I called out. "Aiden?" I tried. There wasn't any response. " _Deucalion_?" I challenged, stiffening as the scent of blood got stronger, but nothing else.

"… Kali?" I asked.

I heard the sound of some sharp rustling, and my eyes widened. I jumped out of the way just in time to see a black blur run past me, before hiding behind a large tree.

Growling lowly, I felt my claws and fangs elongate as I transformed into my wolf form. "Who are you?" I growled, keeping my eyes trained on the dark figure behind the tree.

There was no response, but then a sharp hiss. I dodged, but then winced as I noticed something glistening in the sun. I was barely able to shift myself at the last second, but then landed on the ground, cut by some sharp, metal wire.

"You're the Darach," I realized, just before I was pushed to the ground.

I struggled as the figure behind the dark hood hissed loudly at me, and I could see the ugly flesh around its teeth. I reached up, punching it right in the face, and it fell back, its hood falling off in the process.

My eyes widened at the sight of it.

Completely bald, with slashed marks all over its face, revealing the fleshy muscle beneath the pinkish-ashy face. Its nose was crooked to the side, as its glowing light eyes glared right at me.

All in all… it was completely  **horrifying**  to look at.

"Ugly, aren't I?" it taunted me, glowering at me. "Well, I guess we all can't be pretty like you."

I furrowed my brows, deducing that it was…  _female_. There was  _no way_  a male would call themselves "pretty," willingly, right?

"Am I going to be your next sacrifice?" I asked.

It –  _She_  laughed sadistically. "Not at all,  _sweetheart_ ," she spat the endearment like it was something nasty. "I just need you out of my way. And what better way… than to  _kill you_?"

Her eyes glowed white and I blocked my arms in front of me just as I was blown back by an invisible force. Catching myself, I swung myself off a tree branch before launching right back at her.

I moved to slash her, but she anticipated it, and I was met with a powerful punch to my gut. I grunted in pain, slashing up her chest.

She glowered at me and I sprung away from her. I gathered myself, leaning against a tree to keep my breathing steady.

Oh, God. What the  _fucking hell_  was I getting myself into? "At least Lydia and Allison are far away…" I mumbled, before dodge-rolling another attack.

She darted towards me, and I sidestepped, going for a hit. A knife shot out from her cloak, and I roared in pain when she dug it deep into my side.

She pulled her knife away before jumping back a few feet. I fell to my knees and placed a hand over my wound.  _Black blood._

I looked down at her weapon, and struggled out, "Wolfsbane…"

"That's right," she hissed at me. "Don't worry. There's plenty more where it came from."

I kicked her right in the face as she jumped towards me, and she flew back a few feet before doing several backflips to land safely.

_Howl._

I snapped up at the voice that I suddenly heard.

_Howl._

There it was again. What was that voice?

_It's your instincts. Howl. Howl as loud as you can._

I winced when the Darach sliced my cheek and I closed my right eye to get some pressure on it. I could feel the wolfsbane overtaking my system, my claws and fangs were disappearing.

I had to do it now.

Mustering all the strength I had, I gathered it all in my gut, before releasing the loudest howl I had ever given in my entire life.

The birds took off suddenly and the trees began to shake violently. I could hear the small critters scattering, before I was tackled to the ground.

**THIRD PERSON**

As the howl echoed through the town of Beacon Hills, multiple heads snapped up. The humans who were nearby heard it and shivered, a cold chill running down their spines.

Deep inside the town, three heads snapped up, recognizing the cry.

"Sindy…" all three owners gasped at the same time, before immediately dropping what they were doing, taking off towards the sound.

Back in the woods, Sindy struggled, trying to hold the Darach's poisonous knife from her face. She was slowly losing strength, not sure if she could hold it in any longer.

Just then, a deep, threatening roar echoed through the woods. The Darach's head snapped up, before running away quickly. She couldn't engage in a battle just yet.

_Damn her for howling,_  the Darach cursed as she ran through the woods.

Sindy breathed in and out harshly, her chest moving up. Her throat was closing and she was finding it incredibly hard to breathe. Her brain pulsed heavily, and she found herself blinking heavily.

"Sindy?" a voice called, so unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time. It was then she realized she was safe, and gave in to the darkness.

Ethan and Aiden looked down at the unconscious girl. They glanced at each other.

"Why'd she attack her?" Ethan asked, looking down at Sindy. "What'd Sindy ever do to her?"

"Who knows?" Aiden muttered, listening as he could hear rapid footsteps coming – fast. "But we need to get out of here. Derek's coming."

Ethan nodded, and the twins took off, rushing back to the Alpha Pack's base just before Derek came barreling through the woods, with Isaac and Scott at his heels.

"Sindy!" all three exclaimed, and Derek rushed over so quickly, he ended up having to slide over the grass to come to a complete stop.

"What the hell happened here?" Isaac asked, looking at the destroyed trees trunks. There was even a broken branch Sindy had swung off in earlier on the ground.

A minute later, Stiles came plowing through the woods, breathing insanely hard. Sweat poured down the side of his face as he gasped for breath. His shaky legs brought him over to where the three werewolves were and he tried to talk, but only a small squeak came out.

"I – S – A –" Stiles struggled out, before pulling out a paper bag. He had grabbed it because Scott had taken off so quickly, he knew he was going to need it. He breathed in and out of the paper bag for a few seconds before going. "Oh my God, is she okay?"

"She's just unconscious right now," Derek reported after checking her pulse. "But from the way she's bleeding, it looks like she was poisoned."

"We have to take her to Deaton," Scott announced. "He'll know what to do."

Derek nodded, picking up Sindy's unconscious body. He quickly took off in the direction of his car with Scott hoisting Stiles over his back and rushing off after him.

Before leaving, Isaac noticed a blade on the ground. He picked it up, and darted after his companions.

Derek drove maniacally to the animal clinic, with Isaac in the backseat watching over Sindy's unconscious body. Meanwhile, Scott drove Stiles's jeep, as the latter didn't have fast enough reflexes to catch up to Derek's car.

Isaac threw open the door to the clinic five minutes later, and Derek came running in with Sindy's body.

Deaton, hearing the ruckus, darted out. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

"She's been poisoned," Derek announced through his thundering heartbeat.

"Bring her to the back," Deaton ordered quickly. All four males rushed to the back, and Derek placed her on the examination table. "Take her shirt off."

Derek nodded quickly and ripped open her shirt, revealing the dark bruises and black cuts she received.

"What happened?" Deaton asked.

"I – I – I don't know," Derek stuttered, hearing his pulse echoing. "I just heard her howl and knew she was in trouble."

"Same here," Isaac and Scott supplied.

"But the twins' scents were there when I arrived," Derek provided. "Fresh, too." He narrowed his eyes, feeling them heat up as he remembered what had occurred only days before.

"I don't think it was them," Isaac said, shaking his head. He pulled out the blade that he had found. "I found this a couple feet from Sindy."

"Do you think it was the Darach?" Stiles suggested as Deaton worked on Sindy's wounds.

"It's possible," Deaton nodded. "From the looks of it, she's been poisoned with wolfsbane. I'll need help getting it out of her system." He touched the end of the blade and held his fingers to his nose. "It's regular wolfsbane. Scott, there's some in the drawer. Also, grab the lighter." He glanced at the other three. "I need you three to hold her down."

Derek grabbed an arm while Isaac and Stiles grabbed her ankles. Scott handed Deaton the wolfsbane bottle and lighter before grabbing Sindy's other arm.

The three werewolves winced when Deaton popped open the jar, but it quickly disappeared when he lit the plant on fire. Deaton took the flaming petals and threw them on Sindy's first wound.

Immediately, the young girl's body tightened considerably, and she roared, the sound echoing and shaking the room. All four males struggled to hold her down – with Derek having the least amount of difficulty.

"Hold her!" Deaton instructed.

"We're trying!" Stiles shot back. "But she kinda has Alpha strength on her side!"

Deaton lit up another flower and threw the ashes on her skin, pushing it deep into her wound. She roared again, her claws and fangs popping out. Her eyes snapped open and the sunset red orbs glowed brightly.

" _ **Sindy**_!" Derek roared, restraining his mate as best as he could. He watched as Stiles lost his grip on Sindy's ankle, before being kicked in the face.

"Shit!" Stiles cursed loudly, holding his bleeding nose.

Isaac sprung into action quickly, trying to hold down her flailing legs. "I'm – I'm gonna need help!" the curly haired boy cried, as she struggled against his hold.

"Go," Derek instructed to Scott. "I can take care of her up here." He winced as Sindy's forearm shot up, grabbing his elbow tightly.

He spread his upper body on top of Sindy's just as Scott left. He restrained her top, and the two Betas held down Sindy's legs.

"Holy shit, she's  _this_  strong?" Isaac gasped, wincing when he felt her knee dig into his gut.

Sindy let out a pained roar as Deaton treated the cut on her face and he pulled his arm back just in time before she bit down on air. Derek, Isaac, Scott, and Stiles winced, feeling a sharp tug inside them – with Derek's being the strongest.

"As the Alpha Female and  _your_  True Mate, she takes on every bit of your strength. The stronger the pack, the stronger she is," Deaton explained calmly, despite his hand almost being bitten off. He watched as the girl's breathing settle.

"No kiffim," Stiles responded, shoving some tissues up his profusely bleeding nose.

When Sindy relaxed under their grip, the three males slowly, but carefully, extracted themselves from her. Derek looked down at his arm, seeing a long scratch through his sleeve, but his wound was already healed. There was a bit of dried blood, but that was it.

Isaac lifted his shirt, examining the slowly fading bruise on his abdomen. Scott looked at his hand, which had three thin lines of dried blood from an earlier scratch by Sindy.

"Remibe bee not chew pissh off Shindy," Stiles said, voice muffled through the tissues.

"No kidding," Isaac agreed, nodding in agreement. "Pretty glad she's on our side."

"Hey, doc," Scott turned to Deaton. The veterinarian raised his eyebrows. "How come… when Sindy was roaring… we…  _felt_  it?"

"That's because you're a part of her pack," Deaton explained calmly. "Think of it like this. You all have a string attached to you. And Sindy is the knot that connects you all. What you feel, she feels. What she feels, you feel. And as her twin, I'm betting you feel it, don't you?"

"Yeah," Stiles nodded, wiping his teary eyes. It was half from seeing his sister in this condition, and half from the pain in his nose.

"Sindy?" Derek asked, hearing a soft groan from the table. "Sindy, can you hear me?"

**SINDY STILINSKI**

" _Sindy, can you hear me?"_

I blinked, opening my eyes slowly. I winced at the harsh light, but focused on the figure that was in the center of the bright light. "Are you an angel, too?" I mumbled slightly incoherently, looking at Derek. "Derek, you're so pretty…"

A soft smile appeared on Derek's face. "Thank God you're okay, Sindy."

"Mhm…" I hummed softly, before moving to sit up. I felt two pairs of hands help me sit up and I brushed my hair out of my face.

"Need a shirt?" Scott offered. "There might be something around here.

I vaguely realized that I was in nothing but a pair of jeans and a bra, but honestly, it didn't really matter. Scott and Stiles were like my brothers, Isaac was like my son, and… well, Derek's seen me in nothing.

And besides, a bra wasn't all that different from a bikini top.

"It's fine," I mumbled. "I – I should probably tell you guys what happened, huh?" I glanced at all four of the males. They all  _definitely_  looked tired, making me wonder what exactly happened.

I looked at Stiles, and was going to ask what happened to his face, when I was interrupted. "Were Ethan and Aiden there?" Scott quizzed.

I blinked slowly. "Why do you say that?"

"Their scents were in the woods where we found you," Derek supplied for me. "Completely fresh."

"I…" I furrowed my brows, trying to remember what happened. "I think… they scared her away."

"Whobes her?" Stiles inquired through his stuffed nose.

"What the hell happened to your face?" I demanded, looking at Stiles's injury. I moved to get up, but was restrained by Derek.

"Don't move," Derek ordered. "You're still recovering. And to answer your question, you kicked Stiles when we were healing you. You scratched Scott and I and you also kneed Isaac."

I frowned deeply and looked at the four males. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, feeling guilty for hurting them. I never wanted to.

"It's fine," Isaac brushed off. "What's a bruise or cut or a bloody nose? Besides, we're more concerned about  _you_."

"Yeah," Stiles nodded, before taking out the tissues. He stuffed some more to catch the bleeding. "Nowb whobe day scare away?"

"The Darach," I explained, and I saw all the bodies in the room – save for Deaton – stiffen. "She… She came out of nowhere. I was with Lydia and Allison when I smelled the blood, so I went to investigate it after sending them away. I didn't want them caught in this mess."

"Did you happen to match a face with it?" Deaton quizzed. "Like if you saw her in public?"

"I highly doubt she'll want to walk around with that face of hers," I said, much to the confusion of the males. "She was completely bald and her face was scratched up. And I'm not talking like when Kali scratched my face. I mean literally, there were  _gashes_  in her face. Deep ones. There wasn't any skin around her eyes, nor any lips. I could see her muscly flesh."

"Sounds like a nightmare," Isaac quipped.

"She was incredibly strong, too," I told them. "I – I don't know why she ran away. She probably could've taken on both Ethan and Aiden. But… she did."

"Did you hear them say anything?" Derek questioned.

I shook my head quietly. "I… I passed out when I realized they weren't going to hurt me." I gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Scott ordered. "You didn't do anything wrong. You can't apologize for passing out and you can't apologize for hurting us. It was out of your control."

I looked guiltily at Stiles's face. There was a bruise forming around his nose now. "I'm supposed to  _protect_  you guys," I said quietly. "But here I am, getting attacked and beaten and poisoned… and then hurting you guys."

"Sindy," Derek gripped me firmly. "You're doing  _so much_  to protect us. You took on the Darach, you took on the Alpha Pack – all alone, in order to keep  _us_  safe. Let  _us_  protect you every once in a while." Scott, Isaac, and Stiles nodded in agreement.

"Whybe shee appack choo anywaybe?" Stiles inquired.

"A sacrifice?" Scott furrowed his brow.

I frowned. "No," I said, much to the astonishment of the four males. "She… She said I was in her way, so she needed to kill me."

"In her way?" Deaton echoed.

"Do you know something?" Derek turned to the man.

Deaton shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. But it seems, Sindy… that  _you_  are in her way of her master plan. If she's willing to expose herself to kill you, you must be a huge thorn in her plans."

"But… but why?" I frowned deeply. "I – I haven't done anything."

"And Deucalion wants you, so… it doesn't really make sense as to why he wants you  _dead_ ," Scott was equally troubled.

"Maybe he lost his interest in me?" I suggested.

"That's highly doubtful," Deaton responded. "You're an Alpha Mate. Derek won't be as much of an asset to his pack without  _you_. You're needed. You, as the Alpha Female, give strength to the pack."

"… Maybe… Maybe she has something to do with Derek?" I inquired, looking up at my mate. "Maybe… she wants… just you?"

"Arb choo shaying dah Darakk ish working alonbe?" Stiles suggested.

"It's possible," Deaton agreed with my thought process. "But for now, you should rest, Sindy. You'll be fine after a good night's rest."

I nodded, and Derek helped me off the table gently. "Thanks, Dr. Deaton."

The man gave me a small smile, nodding his head. "It was no trouble at all."

I glanced at Stiles and asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Stiles nodded, the ends of the tissues flying in the air. "I'mb good. Bye dah way, I cannopp belierbe choo dissh school pour chopping." His face frowned. "Dose were hebii bags."

I gave a small apologetic smile to Stiles. "If it helps, I got the new  _Star Wars: The Complete Saga_  in blu-ray."

A wide grin broke out onto Stiles's face. He hugged me quickly. "Yourr dah besht, Shindy!"

I smiled softly, watching my brother practically skip off back into his jeep. Isaac looked contemplative for a minute and asked, "You mind if I crash at your guys' place tonight?"

"Doode!" Stiles exclaimed from where he was. "Yesh!  _Star Wars_  marapomb!"

Scott looked apologetically. "I need to do some studying." Stiles and Isaac looked at Scott with a deadpan. Then looked expectantly at me.

I smiled softly and told them, "I think I'll spend the night with Derek… I always seem to heal faster around him."

The two boys nodded before they were joined by Scott in the jeep. It was then they took off and I turned to look at Derek.

He quirked an eyebrow at me and said, "You only heal faster around me because when we're connected, our bond becomes stronger, thus making us heal and  _be_  stronger and faster."

"I know…" I purred gently, running my hand down Derek's chest. "So why don't you be a good mate and help me heal?" I gave him a small wink and responded, "I also have a little surprise for you."

Twenty minutes later, I found myself in a heated liplock with Derek as we landed on his bed in the loft. We vaguely remembered to lock and seal the doors before I grabbed at Derek desperately, ripping the thin shirt off his body – literally.

The fabric tore as we ripped our clothing apart, desperate for the closeness that was to come. We needed all the reassurance, the completeness, and the love that was there. When my lips met Derek's again, I could literally feel sparks as our tongues danced together and he cradled my face softly, like I was something delicate and special.

He trailed his kisses down my body, and I sighed softly, angling my head to the side. He growled softly in response, continuing his trek down. His hands reached up, palming my round breasts briefly, before placing a kiss on each nipple. He licked the valley between my breasts, right on my sternum, and I shuddered softly when he scraped his blunt teeth against my soft skin.

My jeans were easily pulled off, the denim practically in pieces as it was thrown aside, and my arousal filled the air. I watched as Derek was intoxicated by my scent, his eyes closing as he inhaled deeply. I gazed on, watching the way his pectorals clenched tightly, hearing his pulse race. A small whimper escaped my throat, and when Derek opened his eyes, his bright red orbs stared back at me.

I felt my own eyes flicker, before settling into a submissive state, and he bared his teeth at me. I bit my lower lip, keeping my eyes trained on my mate before me.

"You smell so sweet…" Derek purred softly, his voice slightly distorted from arousal and his wolf. I watched closely, with half-lidded eyes as he bent down, so he was level with my panties. He inhaled sharply again, and I did the same, unconsciously bucking my hips. He chuckled softly and he rubbed at my lips through the lace. "So delicate and wet for me."

"Always…" I sighed out breathlessly. "Please, Derek.  _Please._ "

I felt Derek's hands go to the waistline of my panties, before the flimsy material was easily ripped off. Immediately, Derek tensed and growled lowly. " _Sindy_ ," he growled, his voice much deeper than just now.

Feeling slightly shy, I closed my legs, bringing my hands to cover my wet center. "L – Lydia and Allison dragged me to a spa today," I told him softly. "I – I – I…" My words drifted off into the air as Derek gripped my knees, spreading them. He nodded his head to the side, and I slowly removed my hands.

I whimpered softly as Derek's crimson eyes were trained on my bare, wet, and undoubtedly glistening center. It was making me nervous, but at the same time…  _extremely_  turned on.

**THIRD PERSON**

Derek's bright eyes were focused on the sight before him. His little Sindy – sweet, little innocent Sindy – was completely bare. Bare, glistening, and lying right before him, ready for him to take her. His arousal pushed uncomfortably against the zipper of his jeans, threatening to break free.

Sindy let out a sharp gasp when Derek placed his thumbs on her outer lips. He spread them slowly, teasingly. The first time he had done this? He was amazed by the beauty of her. Now? There were simply no words for him. Without any dark curls barricading his view, his eyes were trained on the way her center throbbed, the muscles pulsing  _right before his eyes_ , before a drop of liquid slid out, dripping down between her soft cheeks.

"God, Sindy," Derek managed to choke out, his voice strangled with need. "You're so beautiful."

The young girl blushed deeply and she cutely threw her arms over her face to block her reddening face from his view. He chuckled softly, watching her peek out briefly from the top of her arms. When she saw he was looking at her face, she squeaked, and ducked behind her forearms again.

"Look at me, Sindy," Derek purred, his tone laced with seduction. The brunette blushed deeply, but did peer out from underneath her arms. "You're absolutely beautiful, and don't let anyone else make you think otherwise."

Derek leaned down, and placed a hand next to the side of Sindy's head. The young girl relaxed, her arms dropping to her sides before she peered up at Derek, her brown eyes wide and doe-like. Unable to resist (not that he would), he leaned down, capturing her lips. He swallowed her gasp as his right thumb circled her clit, spreading her slick wetness. His tongue dived into her cavern just as his index finger slipped into her pussy.

Sindy's hip bucked in surprise before Derek's free hand went down, holding one of her hips steady. She moaned, the sound echoing in the empty loft as Derek kissed her, rubbing his beard against her lower jaw.

He made his way down his mate's body, taking the time to kiss each and every little mole and freckle she had. He suckled her breasts enthusiastically, and Sindy clenched around Derek's finger tightly as his tongue played with her perky nipple. " _Oh_!" she gasped out, her back arching in pleasure. Her right hand shot up, going to tangle itself in Derek's dark, rough locks and he growled softly against her breast at her slightly rough treatment.

The vibrations shook Sindy's chest and she shivered. Derek took that opportunity to add a second finger, before making his way down her stomach. He nipped at the skin there, tugging it gently before kissing her belly button, before trailing down her smooth body. How he didn't realize it was much smoother than before was a mystery to him.

Sindy's caramel eyes snapped wide open and she grabbed Derek's hair roughly when he took her clit into his mouth, sucking on the nub roughly. Her cry echoed in the empty room and her hips buckled wildly. Derek groaned from above Sindy, feeling her vaginal walls clench tightly around her digits.  _God_ , he couldn't wait until he was buried deep inside her.

Derek switched his index for his ring finger, and placed his other three fingers steady on Sindy's upper legs. He could tell she was getting close, able to feel her insides throb rhythmically. Derek pulled back, starting a leisure place inside her. Sindy moaned, bucking into his fingers. The sound was music to his ears.

His free hand went to Sindy's right breast, and he palmed and kneaded at the flesh, enjoying the way the soft weight filled his hand. His mate whimpered softly, looking up at him with half-lidded, lust-filled eyes. The corner of Derek's lips curved up, and before Sindy could ask why, Derek suddenly sped up his fingers movements.

" _AGH_!" she cried out, throwing her head back. "Derek!" Her hips buckled wildly as his fingers curved upwards, hitting her spongy-soft flesh before she came, her orgasm squirting out of her. Derek was relentless as he usually was, never letting her climb down her orgasm, but instead, making her ride it out as powerfully as she could.

When her orgasm subsided, Derek pulled out his fingers, licking the digits clean. He watched Sindy slump against the bed and his eyes scanned her appearance.

Her cheeks and chest were flushed a bright pink. Her dark chocolate locks – wavy today – were mussed up behind her head, spread around her, framing her head while her eyes, a deep, dark chocolate, gazed lustfully at his lips. Her nose flared gently as she tried to breathe, and with every heave, her breasts blossomed, moving with her breathing. Her abdominals clenched, and he could see a few small splatters from her orgasm had landed on her taut stomach.

Sindy's pussy was decently puffed up from their activities, still shining and wet, teasing him – inviting him for more. Glancing down her legs, they were still bent on either side of him, and he took his time to stroke her right kneecap gently. Sindy shivered under his touch, and he smirked, knowing it was because it was his influence as her mate. She wasn't sensitive there.

Pulling his fingers out of his mouth, now completely clean, he gripped Sindy's tiny waist firmly. She blinked up at him, slightly confused, and he patted one side. Recognition filled her eyes and she obeyed, turning around. "Drop your chest," Derek ordered, and he swelled with masculine pride when she did just as he ordered without a moment's hesitation. "Such a good mate…" he purred seductively, running a finger down her spine.

Sindy's body shivered, feeling her mate's finger trace down her bones, and she peered over her shoulder to look at him. Dark brown met with a sharp verdant, which then flickered to red upon contact. She watched, her jaw dropping gently – anticipating – as Derek leaned back, unbuttoning his jeans. He tugged them down easily, before shoving down his boxer briefs.

His hardened cock sprung up, and Sindy's mouth formed a small  _O_  shape. No matter how many times she's been with him, she still found great pleasure and impressment upon seeing her mate's size. She vaguely wondered how he even fit inside of her – especially his knot. But then she realized that her body willingly accommodated his size easily, and pleasurably, for the both of them. Her eyes dropped to the bead of liquid that had gathered at the very tip, and her jaw opened slightly a bit more.

"Close your mouth, Sindy, before I'm tempted," Derek ordered. Her jaw snapped shut, and though saliva pooled at her mouth, eager to please him, there was another part of her that wanted him just as badly. She bit her lower lip, gazing up at him with the best smoldering look she could muster.

Derek wasn't immune to her seductive. She was, after all, his little vixen. Such a temptation. His heart pounded in his chest, before he grabbed Sindy's hips. She squealed when he pulled on her sharply, forcing her hips to go even higher as her head dropped to the mattress. Her surprise was quickly forgotten when Derek slid into her – slid home.

Their jointed groans met in the air, and he didn't hesitate to start thrusting – moving in and out of her at a deep, quick pace. With everything going on lately, their once incredibly-active sex life had taken a plummet, and Derek was determined to make up for lost time.

Sindy gripped the bed sheets tightly, her phalanges curling tightly. Without any of her curls, she could feel every ridge of him as he entered her, and when he pulled out. She felt his hard flesh against her outer lips, sliding out, before sliding back in with a sharp  _slap_  as they joined together fully.

She had to remember to tell herself to breathe as Derek crouched above her, thrusting in and out of her harshly. Deep, heavy pants slipped from her mouth, with the occasional moans and groans of " _Yes_ " and his name.

Derek's thighs groaned as they worked, holding himself upright as he could pound into his mate from behind.  _God_. She felt so tight and warm and wet and slick. The best euphoric sensation filled through him as he felt her walls clench around him, squeezing him. He groaned out her name, speeding up his thrusts.

" _O – O – O – Oh_!" Sindy gasped, her sounds coming out in rhythm with his thrusting. Her toes clenched painfully as her fingers did, too. Her knuckles burned a bright white as she felt her lower parts come together tightly.

"Breathe… Sindy," Derek grunted out through his thrusts. He could feel his mate running out of oxygen, but there was no way he could stop now. She was literally forgetting how to breathe, and he had to physically remind her. "Breathe."

Sindy took in a shaky breath, but it was a mistake, she quickly realized. Derek groaned, feeling her tighten around him even more so, and he sped up, falling down into a crouch so he could cover his body with her.

Sindy's plump little butt hit Derek's thighs, bouncing rhythmically as she screamed beneath him as he animalisticly pumped into her from behind. A sharp curse slipped from Sindy's lips before Derek leaned over the side of her face. His hot breath hit her cheek and she turned the best she could, before capturing her lips with his. " _Derek_ ," she whispered into his mouth.

This set his wolf into a frenzy and Sindy broke the kiss, burying her face into the sheets as she screeched into them. Derek pounded into her roughly, and she felt her pussy clench even more. Derek hit her deeply, his wolf demanding her body to take all of him – take everything he'd give her.

Sindy then threw her head back, and Derek dived. He bit down into the crook of her neck on the left side, and Sindy cried out loudly, howling as she came around him. He continued to thrust inside her, feeling her release escape with every push. He was forced out of her with a particularly rough push, and he fell to his knees.

"No!" Sindy protested, before moving her hips, gathering enough strength to push herself on her arms. She quickly found Derek's cock, and cried out in ecstasy as she moved up and down his length. " _Yes_ , Derek!"

"That's it, Sindy," Derek encouraged, keeping his back steady so he could properly see his mate move. "Fuck me. I'm yours."

"Mine," Sindy gasped out. "Mine, mine,  _mine_." She repeated, with every word, her eyes glowed brighter and brighter. She suddenly swiveled around, and before Derek could react, he found himself on his back. He groaned loudly when his mate scrambled on top of him, before sliding down on his hard length. "Mine," she growled, her voice several octaves lower than usual.

Her eyes glowed brightly in the darkness of the room, and as the moonlight reflected off the side of her profile, Derek realized just how dangerous Sindy could truly be if she wanted to. Dangerous, yes, but still so beautiful in his eyes. Like his own personal succubus.

"You want me to fuck you, Derek?" she asked, and he could see her sharp canines glisten in the darkness. She grinned almost evilly, before she crouched down, over his body. "Then I will," she whispered hotly into his ear, before a sharp, stinging pain/pleasure filled his body.

Derek was held down by Sindy as he bucked underneath her, as he suddenly came from the feeling of his teeth burying inside his skin. Shit, she had taken him without even him submitting to her.

**KNOTTING BEGINS**

Derek felt his cock swell inside Sindy's hot little cavern, and she pulled back, the dark grin still on her face. "Turnabout's fair play," she teased, feeling the pleasure spread through her as he knotted deep inside her.

"Fucking shit," Derek cursed, the pleasure throbbing through his entire body. " _Sindy_ ," he groaned. She submitted to him so much that he forgot that  _she_  could be an Alpha just as much as  _he_  was.

"Something the matter, Derek~?" she pretty much sang, biting her lower lip seductively. Derek groaned at the sight before him. There was his normally-innocent little prey. This time,  _he_  was the prey. And Sindy? She was the predator that was going to eat him up.

"Shit," Derek cussed again, going to grab her hips, but his hands were slapped away.

"Uh-uh~" she said, waggling an index finger at him. "What do you say, Derek?"

"Move,  _please_ , Sindy."

"Mhm…" she pretended to think, bucking her hips once, causing Derek to groan. "That's not the one I'm looking for," she decided, shaking her head, stilling herself on top of him.

He observed the way her wavy locks fell down over her shoulders, reaching her breasts. Thankfully, they didn't obstruct his vision from the lovely sight. He thought carefully of what he would want Sindy to say to him at a time like this. His answer came easily in the form of submission. He bit his lips and through gritted teeth, groaned out, " _Fuck me, Sindy_."

A satisfied, wide smile graced his mate's feature, before she wordlessly began to buck her hips, swiveling them. Derek threw his head back before Sindy's hips thrust, and he felt him press from one wall to the other in a simple, yet pleasurable, rhythm. " _Fuck_!" Derek exclaimed sharply, throwing his head back. "Sindy!"

"You've got such a dirty mouth on you, Derek," Sindy panted out between her grinding. She placed her hands on his hips and she said, "I wonder if you… should be  _punished_  in some way." She squeezed his hips tightly, and Derek found his hips bucking into his mate. God, was  _this_  what Sindy felt when he dominated her?

So helpless, but so… so… exhilarating.

Her bright orbs glowered down at him, and he found himself trapped in a gaze with her. She shifted her grip, before he felt her tiny hands rub all over his torso. She leaned down over him, and with an easy buck, Derek found himself groaning. "How do you like it, Derek?" Sindy whispered against his lips. "How do you like being underneath me? Submitting to me? Feels great, doesn't it?" She nipped at his earlobe, and he groaned, angling his head to the side. "There's my good mate…" she cooed darkly, running a hand down the side of his face.

Derek panted heavily, his hands fisting the sheets tightly. There was so much pleasure flowing through his body, he felt like he was about to explode.

"Mhm…" Sindy hummed, rubbing her nose against his scruffy cheek. "I always love the way you feel against me." To emphasize that, she pressed her chest against Derek's, and he felt her pebbled nipples run against the planes of his chest, which she continued to grind against him.

When had she become such a master at seduction?

Derek's eyes rolled to the back of his head when one of Sindy's hands somehow disappeared behind her, palming his balls, which were wet from Sindy's arousal. "Sindy!" he cried out sharply. He breathed heavily as he felt his cock throb painfully, threatening to release his seed. He couldn't come yet. Not until Sindy had.

"Just cum, Derek," Sindy cooed softly. "Cum and I promise I will, too."

Derek shook his head stubbornly. He could feel she was close, too.

"Derek," she said firmly. "Derek, look at me." His eyes snapped open and he found himself locked in a gaze with glowing red eyes. "Derek,  _cum for me_."

At her tone, he couldn't hold it in any longer. He roared loudly, and he burst inside of Sindy. He felt her cervix open up, taking in all his gift. It was then Sindy moaned lowly, and he felt it. She clenched around him tightly, squeezing him, milking him, and she quietly hit her peak.

Derek bucked helplessly up into Sindy, wanting to push all of his seed into her. He was determined to give everything to her, and he knew her body would take it all. Sindy held his shoulders, keeping him from moving too wildly, and Derek panted heavily. His cock twitched and he would feel himself release, and Sindy's walls wound squeeze tightly, forcing him to push everything out.

"Oh, God, Sindy…" Derek groaned, slumping against the mattress, body feeling like jelly as he continued to try to impregnate her. His body could try as much as it wanted, but he knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon. Once his orgasm subsided, he felt his knot begin to loosen, disconnecting them.

**KNOTTING ENDS HERE**

Sindy giggled softly, her voice much lighter now. Derek opened one eye tiredly and saw that her eyes were her regular brown again. She moved above him, and could feel his essence leak out of her, and it, along with his cock, fell limp onto his stomach.

"That was fun," she said happily, perching herself into his left side.

"Jesus, Sindy," Derek breathed out. "I don't think I can handle you being the Alpha. I don't know how  _you_  do it."

"Sometimes, you make me cum so hard, I feel like I'm about to pass out," Sindy admitted, burying her head into Derek's armpit. She inhaled sharply, taking in his musky, sweaty, woodsy scent. "I never knew how much fun it was to be in control, but… it's taxing."

Derek chuckled softly, wrapping his left arm around her before his right arm went to brush some of her locks out of her face to behind her ear. He leaned down, kissing the top of her head softly. "You did great, Sindy."

"Well,  _duh_ ," the quirky brunette responded. "I know  _that_. I just mean… you're in charge next time we have sex."

Derek's chest rumbled in amusement, and he kissed her forehead. "I think I can agree to that."

His response was feeling Sindy's lips curl against his chest, and a deeper cuddle.


	58. Strength to Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE VISIT TRACYLAY ON FANFICTION.NET TO PARTICIPATE IN MY GIVEAWAY FOR MY READERS.

**WEDNESDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 12, 2011**

_Shake._

Who the fuck was shaking me?

" _Sindy,"_  a voice whispered.

_Shake. Shake._

I slapped the hands away. "Go away, Stiles," I mumbled, turning in my bed.

"Sindy, Lydia found a dead body."

I sprang up from my bed, before an immense pain filled through me as my forehead collided with Stiles's with a loud  _clonk_.

" _ **ARGH**_!" we both cried together, breaking the silence inside the house, recoiling and holding our throbbing foreheads.

"Why didn't you say that earlier?" I groaned, looking at my brother. I could feel my healing factor kicking in, as the pain began to numb.

Stiles rubbed the bump that was starting to form on his forehead. "I figured maybe it was best if you were  _conscious_ , first." He hissed, looking at me with one eye squinted shut.

My pain had dissipated already and I reached out, taking away some of Stiles's pain. It didn't seem to help much, though, but I quickly got dressed in one of Derek's dark Henleys that I stole and a pair of jeans. I threw on some boots, taking my car keys, before grabbing Stiles's hand and walking with him downstairs.

I walked into the kitchen first, handing Stiles a bag of frozen peas, before we headed to my car. Stiles held the bag to his goose egg while I started the car, driving to the school, where Stiles had informed me Lydia was.

I peeled into the school, parking at the front just as Scott arrived and Stiles jumped out. "Where is she?" Stiles asked.

"Over here," came Allison's voice, and the three of us headed over to where the two girls were.

"Lydia?" Stiles asked.

The strawberry blonde turned to respond before she saw the bag of peas Stiles held to his forehead. "What the hell happened to your head?"

"I head butted a werewolf," Stiles responded promptly, glancing over to me briefly. Scott shot me a look and I have him a sheepish shrug.

"What happened, Lydia?" I asked, bringing us back on track.

"It's the same thing," Lydia informed. "Same thing as the pool. I got into the car heading somewhere totally different, and ended up here." She glanced at Stiles. "And you told me to call you if there's a dead body."

"You found a dead body?" my brother questioned, looking around for said dead body.

"Not yet."

"… 'Not yet?'" Stiles quoted. "What do you  _mean_  'not yet'? Lydia, you're supposed to call us  _after_  you find the dead body!"

"Oh, no, I'm not doing that again," the beautiful girl refuted. " _You_  find the dead body from now on."

"How are we supposed to find the dead body?  _You're_  always the one finding the dead body."

"Guys," Scott called, catching our attention. " _I_  found the dead body."

I followed Scott's gaze. My eyes landed on the  _Beacon Hills High School_  sign. My eyes widened, recognizing the owner of said dead body. "Oh my God…" I gasped. "Tara…"

"W – We need to call the police," Allison said quietly, pulling out her phone.

Stiles and I stood there, stunned, seeing the dead body of the woman. I turned to Stiles and said, "… Tara…" My brother turned to me, and I lunged towards him, seeking his comfort. He wrapped his arms around me, and I let out a dry sob.

Stiles held me to his chest, digging his face into the top of my head and we held each other silently, until I could hear the sirens in the distance. They got closer and closer – louder and louder, before they came to an abrupt stop, but the lights still flashed brightly.

I could hear Dad step out, before he muttered out in astonishment, "My God…"

 **THURSDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 13, 2011**

I sighed heavily from my seat behind Scott as Miss Blake walked down the aisle, heels clacking against the tiles.

"Idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes," she listed. "All tools the writer uses to tell their story." She paused, next to me, but I saw her focus was on the girl next to me. "Lydia, I wasn't aware you had so many hidden talents."

"You and every guy I've ever dated," the girl quipped.

"Oh," Miss Blake was shocked by Lydia's sass. "Um, well,  _that_  was an idiom, by the way. Idioms are something of a secret to the people who know the language or the culture." My eyes accidentally made eye contact with her, and I kept my eyes trained, maintaining contact before her eyes shifted away. There was something about her that I didn't like… and it's  _totally_  not the fact that she hits on my boyfriend. … Okay, maybe a little bit, but not entirely! "They're phrases that only make sense if you know key words. Saying 'jump the gun' is meaningful only if you know about the starting gun in a race, or a phrase like 'seeing the whole board.'"

Stiles mumbled, "Like chess."

"That's right, Stiles. Do you play?"

"Uh, no. My father does."

Miss Blake smiled before turning away. "Now, when does an idiom become a cliché?"

Taking advantage of how Miss Blake moved away from us, Scott leaned forward so Stiles could hear while I focused my hearing. "I think I can get to Ethan. I'm pretty sure I can make him talk."

"What do you want to do that for?" Stiles inquired.

"The druids are emissaries, right? So what if the Darach was an emissary to the Alphas?" Scott suggested.

"Okay, first of all, I can _not_  believe that we've gotten to the point where a sentence like, 'What if the Darach was an emissary to the Alphas?' actually makes sense to me. Second of all, we're gonna have a huge problem getting to Ethan."

"What's that?" Scott cocked his head to the side.

"Going through Aiden," Stiles sighed.

"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupted. "Backtrack a bit. I don't think the Darach's working for the Alphas."

"What makes you say that?" Scott turned his head to me, along with Stiles.

I pursed my lips before recalling my attack a couple days back. "When the Darach attacked me, she  _took off_  when Ethan and Aiden arrived. But other than that, I agree with your plan. Ethan's the more reasonable of the two."

"But ever since he's been back at school, they're always together," Stiles frowned. "How are we gonna separate them again?"

Realization all dawned on our faces, and I turned my head to look at my English partner. Lydia paused in her doodling, glancing up to see Scott, Stiles, and I looking at her.

She pursed her lips. "What now?"

"Distract Aiden for us while we talk to Ethan," I told her, just as the bell rang.

She sighed heavily, gathering her stuff. She gave us a tight-lipped nod before leaving. Scott, Stiles, and I followed right after her, and I saw her all but drag Aiden away.

Taking advantage of that, I walked over to Ethan, who was watching the couple disappear down the hallway. "We need to talk to you," I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He looked down at me, before turning to Scott and Stiles, who were standing right behind me. He nodded, and we waited for the bell to ring before we walked to the staircase, where we could have a semi-private conversation.

"Why are you even talking to me?" Ethan sighed. "I helped kill your friend. How do you know I'm not gonna kill another one?" he asked, taking a small glance at Stiles.

My brother, seeing it, quirked an eyebrow at Ethan. "Is he looking at me?" he asked rhetorically, pushing himself off the wall "Are you threatening me? You know what I'm gonna do?" Stiles stepped forward, looking right at Ethan. "I'm gonna break off an  _extra-large_  branch of Mountain ash,  _wrap it_  in wolfsbane,  _roll it_  in mistletoe, and shove it up your fuckin–"

"Whoa, whoa, Stiles," Scott interrupted, placing a hand on my brother's shoulder. "Okay. We get it."

Stiles heaved a heavy sigh, rolling his eyes at me, before stepping back, leaning against the wall again.

Scott turned back to Ethan and addressed, "We're talking to you because I know that you didn't want to kill Boyd. And I think that if something like that happened now, you wouldn't do it again. After all, you and Aiden saved Sindy, didn't you?"

"We just heard her howling," Ethan answered through gritted teeth. "You don't know what we owe them, especially Deucalion. We weren't like Kali and Ennis when we met him. We weren't Alphas."

Scott furrowed his brows. "What were you?"

Ethan pursed his lips, licking them briefly before explaining, "Omegas."

I cocked my head to the side. "Omegas? I thought those were werewolves without packs. I thought you and Aiden  _were_  in a pack.

Ethan glanced at me before explaining, "They exist in wolf packs, too. In actual wolf packs, Omegas are the scapegoat, the last to eat, the one who has to take the abuse from the rest of the pack."

"So you and your brother were like the bitches of the pack?" Well, Stiles didn't waste any time sugar-coating it. But then again, I knew that he didn't like the twins, but tolerated them because they had saved me.

Ethan's eyes darted to Stiles. "Something like that," he admitted.

"What happened?" Scott quizzed.

"They were killers," Ethan explained. "I mean, people talk about us as monsters… Well, they were the ones who gave us the reputation. And our Alpha was the worst of them."

"Why didn't you guys just fight back?" Stiles questioned. "Form Voltron wolf, you know? Kick everyone's asses?"

"We couldn't!" Ethan snapped. "We didn't know how to control it back then."

"Deucalion taught you," Scott realized.

Ethan nodded. "And then, we fought. We took down the whole pack, one-by-one. And by the time we got to our Alpha, he was  _begging_  for his life. And we tore him apart.  _Literally_."

"Well, that's a lovely image," I murmured, seeing a faceless Alpha get ripped apart in my head.

"What about your emissary?" Scott asked. "They're all dead? Kali and Ennis's, too?"

"All of them except for Deucalion's," Ethan confirmed.

"You mean Morrell?" All of a sudden, Ethan grabbed his abdomen, letting out a shocked cry of pain. Scott's eyes widened and he asked, "What? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Not me," Ethan shook his head. "My brother."

I focused my listening, trying to hear what was going on, trying to find Aiden. I could hear growling and slashes in the distance. My head snapped up, just as Ethan's did, too, and I knew he had heard as well.

I darted off, with the boys right behind me.

I turned down the hallway, grabbing onto the wall so I didn't fall with my speed. I ran to the locker room, just as I heard Lydia in the distance yell,  _"Aiden, stop! Stop!"_

I threw open the door just in time to see Aiden hit Cora with a weight. I restrained Aiden from behind, while Stiles and Scott grabbed his arms.

Ethan popped in front of his twin. "You can't do this!" he scolded. Seeing this, Scott, Stiles, and I ran to Cora while Ethan handed his brother.

"She came at  _me_!" Aiden snapped.

"It doesn't matter!" Ethan yelled. "Kali gave Derek and Sindy until the next full moon. You can't touch either of them  _or_  her!"

Aiden calmed down considerably and I glanced up at the twins. I gestured for Scott and Stiles to look over Cora and I stood up.

The twins looked at me and I said calmly, "I think it's best if you two leave right now."

Ethan nodded slowly, grabbed his brother, and pulled him out of the locker room. I heard the door shut behind them, before Stiles reported, "Hey, guys, I think she's pretty hurt."

I turned my head to look down at Cora, seeing the side of her head bleeding profusely. I furrowed my brows, wondering why she wasn't healing.

While Aiden  _did_  attack her, it was with a  _weight_. She should be healing. I bent down, and we helped Cora up. Lydia handed the girl a towel, and she went to the sink, cleaning her wound.

"You okay?" Stiles asked the girl.

"She doesn't look okay," Lydia supplied.

Cora glanced at all of us before saying, "I'll heal." I resisted the urge to quip that it didn't look like she was going to – choosing to stay quiet instead. I needed to talk to Derek about this.

She almost stumbled and Scott and I caught her just in time. "Be careful," I addressed to her.

"I said I'm fine," Cora responded, pulling away from my grip.

"Do you realize how suicidally crazy that was?" Stiles scolded. "What were you thinking going after them?"

"I did it for Boyd!" Cora snapped. "None of you were doing anything!" She glanced at me and said, "You're supposed to be an Alpha Female – you're an Alpha Mate. Why don't you feel as hurt as you should be? You should be wanting revenge against them."

"Believe me when I say I'm angry," I said quietly, looking at Cora. "But vengeance won't solve anything. Besides that, even though they killed Boyd, they  _did_  – whether intentionally or not – save my life a few days ago. Whether I like it or not, I  _do_  owe my life to them."

"We're trying," Scott supplied, seeing the irritated look on the older girl's face.

"And you're failing," Cora said sternly. "You're just a bunch of stupid teenagers running around, thinking that you can stop people from getting killed. But all you do is show up  _late_. All you really do, is find the bodies."

She walked away, and I pursed my lips, looking at my friends.

"She's definitely a Hale," Stiles sighed. He hummed quietly in slight irritation and said, "I'll make sure she gets home."

Stiles walked off after Cora, and I sighed heavily. It was then I felt a vibration in my back pocket. Pulling out my phone, I unlocked it, before looking at the text.

 **Derek Hale:**  I'm at the school.

I turned to Scott and Lydia and said, "I'm going to talk to Derek. I'll meet up with you guys later?"

"Yeah," Scott nodded. "Yeah, sure." Lydia gave her own small nod and I walked off in search of my mate.

**THIRD PERSON**

Heels clacked against the floor as the owner of them darted down the steps quickly. She paused, seeing a dark figure step into view and underneath the bridge that connected two of the school's buildings together.

Relief washed over her, and she darted towards the figure, flying towards him.

Jennifer breathed out as Derek caught her easily. He ignored the strange, numb feeling that washed through him and he was careful to not drop her. He didn't want to hold her, but she wasn't letting go.

"Where the have you been?" Jennifer breathed out. "And don't say that you needed to be alone for a while because that is the single worst excuse ever." Derek stayed silent, trying to pull away, but found himself unable to. "Oh, God, I'm sorry. You really did need to be alone, didn't you?"

Without waiting for a response, she pressed her lips to Derek's. Hearing footsteps in the distance, she willed herself to not smirk as the steps came to an abrupt stop.

She pulled away from Derek before smiling, giving him the best seductive look she could muster.

Meanwhile, Derek was still unable to pull away. There was this  _urge_ , but it was buried quickly by his desire to see Sindy. He needed to see her before she could see what was happening, but he couldn't move his arms. He tried to, but some invisible force pushed his arms, keeping them locked around Jennifer's waist.

Deep inside, the woman wondered why she couldn't see the lust in his eyes. He saw the conflict and struggle.  _Why_  wasn't he falling for it? It was the main reason  _why_  she went after the virgins first in the first place. Their innocence and temptation should be affecting Derek, but it wasn't. Instead, he was fighting it…

"I – I'll see you later," Jennifer let out a breathless voice before pressing her lips against Derek's again.  _Oh well,_  she thought quietly.  _This'll do._

She untangled herself from Derek, and walked away. And as she walked away, a smirk formed on her features.

Derek went to wipe his lips with the back of his hand, when the wind picked up. A scent filled his nostrils, and he glanced up, seeing movement in his peripheral vision.

Standing several feet away, up above on the second floor and looking down at him, Sindy looked at her mate with unreadable, glossy eyes.

Her lips pursed, she turned her heel, and darted.

Sindy's footsteps echoed as the heel of her boots echoed against the cement of the stairs.

Derek opened his mouth to explain, but was abruptly cut off by being forcefully pushed up against the wall, bright, sunset-glow eyes glaring right at him.

**SINDY STILINSKI**

I could see the astonishment in Derek's green eyes at how my wolf surfaced, and I growled lowly, "You're  _mine_."

I pushed Derek harder against the wall, and I pressed my lips against his.  _No one_  touched my mate like that. No one but me.

Derek's hands flew to my hips, holding me steady against him as I pushed my lips against his with a bruising force.

I angled my lips over his, and I could hear him mumble out, "S – Sindy–"

"I know," I cut him off, my lips still against his. "I could feel it. I could feel everything." I pulled back and said, "I felt the confusion. The struggle."

"I – I couldn't control it," Derek moved to explain. His hands moved from my waist to cup my face in a split second. "Sindy, I'd  _never_  touch another woman. I'd never do that to you."

A small purr escaped my lips, and I leaned into Derek's touch. "I know," I cooed softly. Then I snapped out of my mate-induced-haze and looked into Derek's green eyes. "There's something up with her."

Derek nodded quietly. "She knows more about the supernatural than she lets on. I'll handle her." I pursed my lips, not liking the idea. Derek could see the confliction in my eyes before he said, "Don't worry. Whatever she's planning, it won't work. Come with me."

He leaned his head into the crook of my neck, nuzzling it softly. A small purr rumbled in my chest as I angled my head. I was  _so_ ,  **so**  tempted to say yes, but… "I can't," I said eventually. "I promised Scott and Lydia I'd help them out. There's something going on tonight – I can feel it."

Derek pulled his head back and looked down at me.

I frowned. "I know I'm not psychic, but… you told me to trust my instincts, and that's what they say."

"I know," Derek said quietly. "Be careful, alright?" He rubbed his thumbs against my cheekbones.

"I will," I nodded. "I'll stop by tonight. Keep the bed warm for me?" I asked in a small, teasing tone.

Derek smirked and gave me a toe-curling kiss. When he pulled back, I felt my cheeks flush and my breasts heave with my deep breaths. "Alright."

I just barely moved to turn away from Derek, when an ear-piercing scream filled the area. My eyes widened.

"Go," Derek urged from behind me, and I snapped out of my daze, taking off without another word.

I ran down the hallways, quickly tracking down Lydia's location. I almost collided with Aiden, who caught me just before I could fall. "What happened?" I demanded.

"I don't know," Aiden responded, shaking his head. "I was with Ethan when I heard her scream."

I nodded, and the two of us ran off. We came to a skidding stop in front of the history classroom.

"Lydia!" Aiden exclaimed, rushing over to his…  _whatever_  Lydia was to him.

A few seconds later, the teachers came barreling in. Lydia gave a report on what had happened, and I glanced at the chalkboard, seeing the Celtic knot with the number two in the right knot.

Lydia explained that it was there and when she came to realization on what she was doing, she had written the number, and Mr. Westover was gone.

"I don't get why no one's calling the police," she addressed, looking at Miss Blake, who had gotten Lydia's statement.

"They're going to make an announcement over the PA," Miss Blake explained. She gave me a quick glance and I quirked an eyebrow, giving her a challenging look.

"That's not gonna do anything!" Lydia cried. "I told you, he's gone. Like the others: taken."

"Okay," Miss Blake nodded. "Look, we're just trying to understand, okay? All we know is that Mr. Westover didn't show up for class."

"And the last time that happened was Mr. Harris," Lydia pointed out. "Anyone heard from him lately? He's gone." She pulled out of Aiden's hold and pointed to the board. "And he's going to be the second murder."

"But, Lydia,  _you_  wrote that number," Miss Blake said.

"Okay, fine," Lydia pursed her lips. "I'm psychic." My eyes met Aiden's and we exchanged quirked looks.

"You're psychic?" Miss Blake echoed.

"I'm  _something_!" the girl cried as I made eye contact with Scott.

The brunet looked at me as I approached him and I shook my head, silently telling him there was no trace of the teacher.

"A deputy and a teacher?" Ethan asked from beside Scott. "What's the pattern?"

"I don't know," Scott answered honestly.

"At first, we thought it was guardians," I told Ethan, stepping out of the room with the two of them. "Y'know, law enforcement. But… but now? I've no idea."

"You think they're gonna strike again?" Ethan looked at Scott. I turned to him as well.

"I – I don't know," Scott responded.

"Do you wanna patrol here?" I suggested, turning to Scott. "I mean, there's going to be a recital here tonight, so half of Beacon Hills will be here anyway. If anything happens, we can try to stop it."

Scott nodded slowly, considering his options. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, sure."

For the next few hours, Scott and I patrolled the campus, meeting up every hour to talk about anything we had seen or just have a small break. Man, I wouldn't be able to do law enforcement.

Scott and I were taking a break when his phone rang. He pulled out his phone and glanced at me, reporting, "It's Allison."

I sat there, leaning against the wall. I could hear Allison explaining how she, her father, and Isaac had found Mr. Westover. I frowned, pulling out my phone, setting up a three-way call between Scott and Stiles.

The second Stiles picked up and Scott connected to the call, I said, "It's not guardians as in law enforcement."

"It's philosophers as in teachers," Scott supplied. "Allison and her father just found Mr. Westover."

I could hear Stiles thinking before he said,  _"That makes sense. Tara… she wasn't always a cop. She used to teach middle school."_

"Then the last one's gonna be another teacher," Scott said as we stood up to walk to the edge of the balcony of the school.

" _Yeah, but there's dozens of them, Scott, and they're all headed home,"_  Stiles argued.

"No," Scott shook his head, looking down at the entrance to the auditorium, where Miss Blake was still standing, greeting the residents of Beacon Hills. "No, they're not. They're all going to the recital."

Scott and I glanced at each other before jogging down to the first floor. Scott pulled open the door, and I slipped inside, followed shortly by him. The second I entered, I immediately sensed Ethan and Aiden nearby.

I glanced at Aiden, who discreetly shook his head. I narrowed my eyes and he shrugged before nudging to his head a bit away. I followed his nudge, my eyes falling on Danny and Ethan.

Ethan was fixing up Danny's tie and I focused my hearing.

"I know how to tie my own tie," the goalie said to his… boyfriend? I wasn't really sure what Ethan and Danny were. I think they're dating, but… could they really date normally with Deucalion around and Kali essentially wanting to kill Derek?

"Well, you know how to do it badly," the werewolf replied. "Now, it's perfect." I watched as Ethan pulled out a pack of mints and slipped one into Danny's mouth. I turned away briefly to give them privacy. "Still nervous?"

"All good," Danny confirmed with a smile.

"Okay, listen," Ethan said sternly. "If anything happens, find me, okay? Find me first." I narrowed my eyes. A shiver went down my spine and I could feel a spike of malice for a brief second before it disappeared.

I turned my head to look for it, but then spotted Lydia slipping in between Scott and I.

"I thought you were going home," Scott said, looking down at the strawberry blonde.

"I can't," Lydia confessed. "I don't know why I am the one that keeps find the bodies but maybe if I just stop trying to fight it, I'd find them before it happens, maybe with enough time for someone like you guys to do something about it."

Scott looked firmly at Lydia and said, "You give us the time, and we'll do something about it. I swear to God, we will."

Lydia turned to look at me with her wide green eyes and I nodded in agreement. I slipped my hand into hers and gripped it tightly, doing my best to comfort her. She squeezed it back, and I smiled softly, as we waited for the concert to begin.

I felt a small breeze and familiar scents filled my nostrils. Turning over to the source of the scents, my eyes met Isaac's deep blue ones. I gave a small nod of acknowledgement and he returned it with one of his own.

My phone buzzed, and I released Lydia's hand to reach into my pocket, pulling out my phone. I frowned at the text that I had received.

 _ **Derek Hale:**_  Cora's not looking too well. Won't be able to see you tonight.

I bit my lower lip, worried over Cora, and responded.

 _ **Sindy Stilinski:**_  That's fine. Take care of her.

I locked my phone and glanced back up, only to see Lydia gone. I turned to Scott. "Where'd Lydia go?"

Scott opened his mouth to respond, but then he closed it. He opened it again, before snapping it shut. "… I don't know," he admitted eventually.

"Hey," Stiles said, jogging over to us. He glanced around, looking for his crush since forever. "Where's Lydia?"

"That's what I just asked," I admitted, looking at my brother.

Without waiting another second, the three of us rushed to the doors, throwing them open. "Lydia?!" Stiles cried into the night sky.

"Lydia!" Scott and I yelled together, calling for the strawberry blonde.

Scott scanned the area with his Alpha eyes, while I sniffed the air, trying to get a lock on the girl's scent. It was weird. I couldn't smell any trace of her.

"Anything?" Stiles asked impatiently, looking at us. We shook our heads negatively. "She's not answering texts. What do we do? Scott? Sindy?"

I didn't know. We had to find Lydia before–

My thoughts were abruptly cut off by an ear-piercing screech. My hands shot immediately to my ears as I attempted to block out the ringing sound, collapsing onto my knees as I did so. I groaned in pain, the scream echoing in my head and almost tearing my brain into two.

Through the pain, I recognized it as Lydia's ear-piercing scream, but I couldn't bring my body to move. It just hurt so much.

The screech slowly faded away, but it left a sharp ringing in my ears.

Shaking my head in order to clear it as I pushed myself off the cold ground, I slowly regained my balance. Once I was able to think clearly, I turned to look at Scott.

"Lydia," we said together before taking off in the direction of the sound.

I could hear Stiles's rapid footsteps behind us, but then a scent caught in the air.

_Blood._

I tapped into my supernatural speed, and skidded around the corner. I darted into the room just in time to see my father collapse. Immediately, a fury coursed through me and I let out a threatening roar, followed shortly by Scott.

I could see my eyes glow a bright red in the reflection of the windows before Scott charged right towards Jennifer. He moved to attack her, but she dodged and pushed him away, forcing him to hit a pile of desks.

I flexed my claws before charging right towards her. I aimed for a punch, but she crouched down. Working quickly, I swiped my foot out, but she launched herself, but I did manage to nick her just as she sprung up.

Her palm then hit my chest, and I found myself propelled out the window, the glass cutting through my skin as I flew through the night air.

A heavy grunt escaped me and a familiar, metal tang filled my mouth as something struck against my back roughly. The alarm of the car echoed loudly after I landed on the ground.

I spat out the extra liquid that gathered inside my mouth, pushing myself onto all fours. With a small groan of pain, I stood up on my feet before I heard the sound of another window crashing.

My head shot up, only to meet my brother's and Scott's faces.

"Dad?" I heard Stiles call.

I sniffed the air, but got nothing. Jennifer was gone, and so was my father.

I kicked the blaring car roughly, and it thankfully silenced. I was still suffering from the after effects of Lydia's screaming, and the ringing was getting on my nerves. I stumbled over to the shattered windows, climbing in as Scott and Stiles freed Lydia.

"What happened?" I demanded, looking at the strawberry blonde.

"I – I – I don't know," Lydia stuttered out, looking absolutely petrified. "She took me and – and said… I was a banshee…"

"That makes a lot of sense now," Stiles mumbled, looking at all of us. "Your screams and the way you find dead bodies… a banshee is an omen of death."

"We have to go tell Derek," I announced, looking up at the three. All of them turned to me. "Jennifer trusts him. She'll definitely go to him for help."

"But what if he decides to help her?" Lydia asked warily.

"He won't," I declared. "He'll take my side over anyone else's."

Jennifer's strength came from the warriors. Her healing from the healers. And… her so-called  _innocence_  and seduction from the virgins.

Based on today's events, though, it didn't work as well as it should on Derek, and I hoped Jennifer's powers didn't grow any further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE VISIT TRACYLAY ON FANFICTION.NET TO PARTICIPATE IN MY GIVEAWAY FOR MY READERS.


	59. We Need Her

**THURSDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 13, 2011**

"She's the Darach?" Derek looked at me for confirmation.

I noticed my brother and best friend exchange annoyed looks. "That's what we just said," Stiles explained, but Derek kept looking at me.

I nodded my head. "And he took my father."

Derek pursed his lips and nodded. "I'll take care of it."

My ears perked as I heard a sound. I quickly grabbed Scott and Stiles, and we hid in the large hole in the loft. Just then, the door slid open and Jennifer came rushing in.

"Derek?!" she called in her fake, helpless tone. "Derek, where are you?"

"Right here," Derek responded, stepping out to meet her.

"Thank God!" Jennifer exclaimed, and went to run over to Derek. She grabbed his hands and said, "Something happened at the recital." Derek stayed silent as she elaborated, "At the school. Okay, I need to tell you before you hear it, before you hear any of it from them."

"From who?" Derek inquired, feigning cluelessness.

"Scott, Stiles, Sindy," Jennifer listed. "They're gonna tell you things. Things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay? You trust me." I narrowed my eyes, feeling my anger seep out of me.

Maybe I was acting like a cold-hearted bitch towards her, but she  _kidnapped_  my father and even had the  _gall_  to think that she could take  _my_  mate from  _me_. I reigned in my anger as I continued to listen, playing with my claws, which had extended.

"What is it?" Derek asked.

"Promise you'll listen to me."

"I promise," Derek responded and the thunder cracked as I saw her lean up to kiss Derek, who was unresponsive. I snarled gently under my breath, making sure she could hear it echo throughout the room.

Jennifer pulled back from Derek and stated, "They're already here."

I stepped out with Stiles and Scott and glowered at Jennifer. The thunder crashed outside and I knew my glowing eyes were glaring at her.

"So, they told you it was me?" Jennifer inquired. "That I'm the one taking people?"

"We told him you're the one  _killing_  people," Scott corrected.

"Oh, that's right," Jennifer scoffed. "Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour. That way, I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense."

"Where's our dad?" Stiles asked, gripping my wrist so tightly that it was to the point where he was shaking.

"How should I know?" Jennifer shot.

She was going to  **pay**. It was one thing to attempt to steal  **my**   **mate** , but another to take  **my father**  and reduce  **my brother** to this point of weakness and tears. She turned to my mate and said, "Derek, tell me you don't believe this."

Derek looked at my burning eyes and then my companions. "Do you know what happened to Stiles and Sindy's father?"

"No," Jennifer sighed, shaking her head.

"Ask her why she almost killed Lydia," Scott ordered, and I snarled, the sound echoing. Lydia was a member of Scott's pack. Scott was a member of my pack. Therefore, Lydia was a member of my pack and  **she touched her**.

" _Lydia Martin_?!" Jennifer asked in faux disbelief. "I don't know anything about that!"

"What  _do_  you know?" Derek pushed.

"You're seriously believing  _them_  over me? Three  _children_ , for whatever misguided reason, are filling your heard with an absurd story. You said you trusted me." Jennifer looked up at Derek.

He looked sternly and Jennifer and said, "I never said that. You just assumed it. There's only  **one**  person I trust, and she's standing right there, ready to rip your head off. So tell me what you  _do_  know."

Jennifer glared at me hatefully and I bared my teeth at her. Stiles gripped me tightly and scooted closer to me. Despite the fact that he was well-aware I could lash out at any time, I knew he was seeking comfort – and that was the  **one reason**  why I wasn't attacking Jennifer right now.

"I don't know anything other than the fact that these kids are completely telling you  _lies_! They can't even prove it!"

"What if we can?" Scott challenged, as I handed Scott the jar of mistletoe.

"What is that?" Jennifer demanded.

I stepped forward, keeping Stiles behind me as Scott moved forward towards Jennifer while Derek stepped back.

"My boss told me it's a poison and a cure…" Scott explained. "Which means you can use it…" he unscrewed the lid, "and it can be used against you."

" _Mistletoe_?" Jennifer snarled, just before Scott launched the crushed up plant right in her face.

I watched as it engulfed her and revealed her scarred face briefly, before she reverted back to her disguise. She glared at me, exclaiming, "You  _brat_! You ruin  _everything_!"

She made a move towards me and Scott moved to transform, but was cut off by Derek's angry growl before his strong arm shot out, trapping Jennifer before she could even move.

He held her by her neck and his claws extended as he growled, "Don't you  **dare**  threaten  **my**  mate."

He moved to slash her, but she exclaimed, "Derek, wait, wait! You need me!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you for harming my mate," Derek growled lowly.

"I'm the only person who can save your sister," Jennifer gasped for breath. "Call Peter," she urged. "Call him!"

"Sindy," Derek said.

"Already on it," I said, pulling out my cell phone and searching for Peter's number. I put in on speaker and waited as it rang twice before the man picked up. "Peter, how's Cora doing?"

" _It's not good,"_  Peter responded.  _"She's in and out of consciousness. She's vomiting up black blood along with one other alarming substance."_

I remembered Danny's condition and responded, "Mistletoe."

" _How did you know that?"_  Peter asked, but I simply ended the call, confirming what was going on.

Derek's grip tightened around Jennifer's neck, and she gasped for breath.

"Derek," Scott called, alarmed. "Derek, what are you doing?"

"Her life…" Jennifer choked out. "It's in my hands!" That only pissed of Derek even more and he raised her in the air above him, slowly asphyxiating her.

"Stop," Stiles said, rushing forward. "Derek, stop!"

"Stilinski," Jennifer choked out. "You'll never find him."

Scott and Stiles whirled to me. Stiles gripped me tightly and said, "Sindy, you have to stop him. We'll never find Dad if Derek kills her now."

I pursed my lips, snarling at Jennifer's body, which was slowly losing oxygen as Derek tightened his grip more and more. I huffed, knowing Stiles was right. "Derek, let her go. We need her."

Derek tossed her to the ground and she landed with a thud. Jennifer glanced up and said, "That's right. You  _need_  me. All of you."

Derek looked severely pissed as he strode over to me. He didn't like the fact that I had told him to stop. He held my face, stroking my cheeks gently with the pads of his thumb.

I looked up at Derek with wide eyes. "Why'd you stop me?" he asked quietly.

"Because we have to find my father," I said softly. "And save Cora. Whether we like it or not, we  _do_  need her…  _for now_." I added.

Derek nodded quietly and stepped away. "We head to the hospital. Sindy, you're riding with me."

I nodded and turned to Stiles. I took his hands in mine and said, "We'll find Dad, okay? I promise. Right after we save Cora."

Stiles nodded mutely and hugged me. "Thanks for stopping him," he said quietly.

"It was tempting to  _not_ , believe me," I said, returning the hug. Stiles pulled back and looked at me. "Stiles, she's killed so many people and she's hurt so many more. The victims… they all had families. And to add to that? She took Dad. That indirectly hurts me  _and_  you. And she went after Lydia. I don't talk with her much, but she's as much as a pack mate as you are. And I've told you, if any of you got hurt, I couldn't bear to see it."

I stroked Stiles's cheek and he sighed deeply, his body relaxing under my touch. "Sindy?" he asked quietly.

"Hm?"

"I couldn't bear to see you hurt, either, so don't think it's just a one-way street."

I gave a small smile and replied, "Relax. I'll be fine. Now, let's get our asses to the hospital."

Stiles nodded and we broke away. Derek grabbed Jennifer roughly off the ground as Scott and Stiles exited the loft.

Derek dragged Jennifer down the steps while I followed close behind, wary in case she'd run away. He forced her into the passenger seat of his car and I slid in the back, directly behind her. Derek got into the driver's seat and started the car.

"You should know I'm not doing this because I have to," Jennifer said as Derek drove. "I want to. I could still run, and you wouldn't have an easy time stopping me, even with Sindy here. But I don't want your sister to die. I'm only doing what I had to do."

"Shut up," Derek snapped, keeping his eyes on the road.

"You need to hear the whole story, Derek," Jennifer pushed. "You need to know just how connected we really are."

"Stop. Talking," Derek ordered, just as I extended my claws, holding it to Jennifer's neck.

"You  _really_  need to stop talking about my mate that way," I threatened. "Because first off, he's  **mine**.  _You_  aren't connected to him.  _I_  am.  _I'm_  the one he trusts.  _I'm_  the one he'll always listen to. You're nothing but a murderer and the only reason why you're still sitting here,  _right now_  is because of  _me_. So I'd do as Derek says and shut the fuck up."

"What a lovely girlfriend you have," Jennifer commented sarcastically.

"She's infinitely more pleasant than you," Derek shot back and I saw his eyes dart towards me.

My phone beeped with a new text message and I pulled it out, reading it quietly.

 **Scott McCall:** Stiles wanted me to tell you to stay wary. He has a bad feeling because we outed Jennifer and she still looks like it doesn't matter – like it's part of her plan.

 **Sindy Stilinski:**  Gotcha. I just barely got her to shut up, though, so we better hurry this up before *I* kill her.

Derek pulled up next to the hospital and Stiles's jeep screeched to a stop next to us. I climbed out of the car, Derek dragging Jennifer in front of me as Scott and Stiles strode up to me.

"What's that?" Scott asked, looking at Stiles's "weapon."

"Well, you guys got claws. I got a bat," Stiles responded.

We entered the hospital and made a quick stride towards the elevator, before Melissa came running over. "Scott, Scott!" she called. "What are you doing here? The hospital's evacuating."

"We're here for Cora," Scott responded.

"What, all of you?" Melissa looked at us incredulously. "Why does Stiles have my bat?" I made a mental note to buy Stiles at  _least_  an aluminum bat.

"Mom, just trust me on this," Scott said. "You need to get out of here. Right now."

"Melissa," I said quickly. "We need an ETA on when everyone's out of here. We're  _seriously_  pressed for time, here."

"The building is supposed to be clear in thirty minutes," Melissa responded. "We've got two ambulances that are coming back. One's ten minutes out, the other's twenty. Cora needs to be on one of those. They'll be picking up in the basement garage."

"Got it," Scott nodded and I did as well.

"Okay," Melissa confirmed.

We all piled in the elevator and Derek pulled Jennifer roughly to the side to allow me to press the button to Cora's floor.

"You don't have to keep me on a leash, Derek," Jennifer said. "I'm going to help."

I glowered at Jennifer. Scott did the same thing. Meanwhile, Stiles was securely holding his bat, cautious in case she attacked. It'd probably be amusing any other time but this.

The elevator quickly  _ding_ ed to the second floor and we strode out, just as the lights flickered. I turned to Cora's room, only to see nothing but an empty bed and a puddle of black blood, with small drops making a trail.

"Derek," I said quietly, and he followed my gaze to the closed doors at the end of the hallway, where I could hear struggling before they burst open and Peter came sliding out.

Peter stopped right at Derek's feet and announced, "We got a problem. Big problem."

I glanced up back at the doors, seeing the merged Alpha twins together, roaring loudly.

"Shit," I cursed, before wolfing out. Derek charged at the twins first, tackling them as far away as possible, before Scott and I sprung into action. We leapt onto the walls before I landed behind the twins, going for a lower attack while Scott went for a higher one.

They both grabbed Scott and I, before pinning us to the wall. I groaned in pain as my head broke the wood of the door.

"Ethan, Aiden, stop!" Scott cried. "You don't know what you're doing."

"C'mon," I said, grabbing the wrist that was around my neck. "Stop it, guys."

"All we want is her!" Ethan and Aiden shouted in their Alpha form. They then dropped Scott and I, and I groaned when my head hit the tiled floor roughly.

"Shit, she got away!" I exclaimed. "We need to go, guys!" I cried, realizing the twins had now turned on us.

I watched Peter pick up Cora, before we sprinted off after I grabbed Stiles's hand, dragging him with me.

I pushed open the doors to the morgue and Derek ordered, "Don't stop, don't stop!" Stiles suddenly ripped his hand away from mine and I whirled around when I realized I was holding nothing.

"Stiles!" I yelled with another voice. I was unsure of who it was – all I could focus on was Stiles hiding behind the door just before the twins burst through.

They roared at us and Stiles swung his bat, but the wood shattered to pieces upon contact. Stiles dropped the broken weapon in shock and began to back away, Ethan and Aiden's eyes trained on him.

I made sure Stiles was behind me before I glared at the twins. They moved a foot, but suddenly stopped, giving me a chance to come up with something. My eyes averted up before I leapt into the air. I grabbed the ceiling lights, breaking it off before swinging the thing right in their faces.

"Move, move!" I shouted pushing Derek, Scott, and Stiles out of the room. As we ran, my phone rang loudly and I moved to silence it, seeing Isaac calling. I answered, "Isaac, now's not a really good time right now!"

" _Sindy?"_  Isaac inquired.  _"What's going on?"_

"Well, we outed Jennifer was the Darach and dragged her to the hospital to cure Cora, but we ran into the twins and Jennifer got away from us. Now, we're running from the twins and trying to evacuate Cora." The lights then went out before the backup generators started. "Gotta go now, bye!" I hung up, slipping it back into my pocket to continue running.

 _God_ , why did I wear a dress?

We found an empty operating room and Peter set Cora down on the table while Derek closed the doors.

"Where's the big guy?" Stiles asked.

"He's close," Derek responded.

"What about Miss Blake?" Stiles turned to us and Scott and I shook our heads. "Wait – what do you mean? What does that mean? Like, she's gone? Scott, Sindy, are you  _kidding_  me?!"

"Shh," Derek shushed. "Quiet."

" _Me_  be quiet? Me, huh?" Stiles shot into Derek's face. "Are you telling  _me_  what to do now? When that psychotic, mass-murdering woman that's been after you for weeks – the second one, by the way – has got my dad somewhere,  _tied up_ , waiting to be  _ritually sacrificed_? I swear to God if it wasn't for my sister, I would  **seriously**  question your taste in girls."

"Stiles, stop," I said, standing in front of Derek. "He has no control over Jennifer's actions." Stiles threw me an exasperated look while Scott made a comment that the twins were still out there.

"And – and they want her, right?" Stiles asked. "Which means now we don't have her either, so our dad  _and_  Cora are both dead!"

"Not yet," Scott responded. "Is she really dying?" He turned to Peter, who was looking over his niece.

"She's definitely not getting any better," Peter responded quietly.

"There has to be  _something_  that we can do," Scott said. "We have to help her."

The doors swung open harshly before I saw Jennifer standing there. "You can't. Only  _I_  can. I can save her,  _and_  I can tell you where Sheriff Stilinski is. But there is a pack of Alphas in this hospital who want me dead. So, I'll help you… but only when I'm out of here and safe.  **Only then**."

I jumped when Derek knocked over a stand of medical tools, charging right towards Jennifer. Scott sprung up and held back my boyfriend, screaming, "Derek, wait!"

"She was trying to get out," Derek snarled.

"I was trying to keep from getting killed," Jennifer tried to defend herself. "You can't blame me for that."

"If you wanna show you're one of the good guys, then heal her," Stiles demanded.

"Not until I'm safe," Jennifer refuted.

"You're just looking after you own ugly ass," I snarled. "How do I know the  _second_  we keep you safe, you won't run out on us?"

"Because I care about Derek – which by extension means I care for Cora, too," Jennifer snapped back. "Do you even  _know_  what that is?"

"Do you want to  _know_  what it feels like to have your neck snapped in half?" I flexed my claws threateningly. I never wanted to kill  **anyone**  this much. Boy, and I thought I hated Kate.

"I'd like to volunteer a different method of persuasion. Let's torture her," Peter suggested. I like Peter, even if he  _did_  psychotically kill Laura, attempt to kill Scott, Stiles, and me, scare the living crap out of me, and try to kill Jackson. Okay… that makes me not like Peter so much… I still like Peter more than Kate and Jennifer combined, though.

"Works for me," Derek and I responded, and I moved towards Jennifer, but was cut off by Scott placing a hand over my chest.

I glanced down at his hand, quirking an eyebrow. Scott flushed and immediately pulled his hand back. "Sorry," Scott mumbled.

"It's okay, I have fantastic boobs, I know," I responded cheekily. "Derek agrees." Then I fixed my dress, which had fallen slightly because of all the running and moving I did.

"Ugh, can you not?" Scott and Stiles groaned in unison, while Derek smirked. Well, at least I was able to lighten the mood a bit.

The intercom screeched and then Melissa's voice filled the room.  _"Um… can I have your attention? Mr. Deucalion… excuse me, just Deucalion… requests you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to the ER reception. Do this, and everyone else can leave. You have ten minutes."_

I could hear Melissa's shaky breath through her entire monologue and I bit my bottom lip, seeing the conflicted look on Scott's face.

"He's not going to hurt her," Jennifer interjected.

"Shut up," Derek snapped.

"He won't!" Jennifer exclaimed.  _Damn._  What kind of English teacher does  **not**  know what the words "shut" and "up" mean together in a sentence? "Scott, you know why. Tell them it's true."

"What does she mean?" Derek asked quietly, turning to the young boy.

When Scott didn't respond, Jennifer sighed. "You and Sindy are not the only ones he wants in his pack," Jennifer provided.

"Deucalion doesn't just want an Alpha pack," Jennifer provided. "He wants perfection. That means adding the rarest of Alphas to his ranks."

"A True Alpha," Peter looked at Scott. "And a True Mate." He looked at me.

"What's that?" Stiles inquired. "The… True Alpha part, not the True Mate. I already know about that… semi-unfortunately."

"A True Alpha is the kind of Alpha that doesn't have to steal his power from another. One that can rise by the force of his own will… Our little Scott."

"It doesn't matter," Scott responded. "We still need to get her out of here." He looked at Jennifer.

"Scott, your mom–" Stiles and I moved to protest.

"My mom said there's one more ambulance coming in twenty minutes," Scott interrupted. "And I don't think we've been here that long, so if we can get down to the garage, get to the last ambulance, we can get out of here."

"The twins aren't gonna let us just walk out," Derek responded.

"I'll distract them," Scott responded.

"You mean fight them," Derek corrected.

"Whatever I have to do."

"I'll help you," Derek declared.

"Um, sorry, but I'm not going anywhere without you, Derek," Jennifer piped in. I shot her an annoyed look. She  _really_  needed to lay off  _my_  man.

"I'll do it, then," I sighed.

"No," Derek shook his head. "There's no one I trust more than Sindy to watch my back."

"Aww," I cooed, despite the tense atmosphere. I ran a triskele pattern that was just like his tattoo on his chest. "You sure know a way to a girl's heart, stud." Peter, Stiles, and Scott snorted while the corner of Derek's lips twitched.

"I'll do it," Peter volunteered. "But I'd prefer to be out there with an advantage."

"An advantage? Like what?" Stiles inquired. "You mean like a weapon?"

"Something better than a baseball bat," Peter quipped.

We began to search the room, and I went straight for the drugs, trying to see if there was anything to knock the twins out. If anything, I wanted to avoid killing (unless it was Jennifer).

"Hey, wait," Stiles said, holding up the defibrillator. "What about these?"

"Do you know how to use those?" Derek answered.

"Well, no," Stiles responded. "But I'm sure Sindy does."

I rolled my eyes and said, "I'm not teaching you how to use a defib, Stiles. Plus, you need something more portable."

"Put them down," Derek ordered like he would a child.

"Wait, Sindy, what's this?" Scott held up a giant needle. I took a look at the clear liquid and furrowed my brows, trying to remember what it was used for.

"That's epinephrine," I explained. Scott looked at me blankly. "Adrenaline."

"That's only gonna make him stronger," Derek responded.

Peter looked at the giant needle. "How strong?"

I took the needle and said, "Let's find out." I stabbed Peter with the needle (boy did it feel  _good_  to stab him) and pressed down, inserting the drug into his system.

Peter burst through the doors just as we heard the twins roaring.

Derek picked up Cora, and Stiles and I shoved Jennifer in front of me so I could keep an eye on her. I could hear the growls and the scuffling behind me and hoped to God they'd be alright.

I pushed Jennifer in the direction of the basement garage. It didn't take us long to get out there, and I was incredibly thankful when I heard Stiles exclaim, "Still here!" upon seeing the ambulance.

Derek placed Cora onto the ambulance bed, and Stiles and I made sure she was safe.

"Derek, over here," I heard Jennifer say and I paused my strapping of Cora.

I blinked and climbed out of the ambulance. "Stay here," I ordered my brother, looking up into his eyes, which were completely identical to mine.

Stiles nodded and Derek and I stalked to the other side of the ambulance, only to see Jennifer looking at the dead body of the driver.

We cautiously approached the body, when I saw bare, bloody footprints, just as a taunting voice called, " _Julia~_ "

Kali stepped out, dangling the keys to the ambulance. "It is you," she looked at Jennifer, who stepped behind Derek and I. I heard the back doors to the ambulance close.  _Good, Stiles._

"There's no guarantee both you and Sindy can beat her," Jennifer said quietly.

"That's why we're gonna run," Derek replied, and I was glad. If we fought here, both Stiles and Cora could be injured… Cora even more.

Kali roared and Derek and I took off. I pushed Jennifer in front of me. My  _God_  she was so  **slow**!

"Wait, wait! The elevator!" Jennifer cried as I continued to push her. Derek stopped, pushing a bed in Kali's way before darting into the elevator as I furiously slammed the "Close" button.

Thankfully, the doors closed just in time, but then the lights flickered, and the elevator stopped.

"Shit," I muttered as we were basked in total darkness. "I fucking hate that we need her."

The dull, emergency lights of the elevator turned on and I glanced around.

Derek forced the doors open, but we were met with nothing but the wall. He glanced up at the roof and I sighed heavily.

"If you're thinking the service hatch, they bolt from the outside, so you'd have to break it. All you'd end up is creating a lot of noise, telling them  _exactly_  where we are," Jennifer explained.

"Do you  _ever_  shut up?" I sighed, tired of her know-it-all talking. "And besides, Kali already knows where we are."

"Not necessarily," Jennifer glared at me. "She saw that we got in, but she might not know that we didn't get out."

"Yeah, well, if I get through, then we can go to another floor."

"Or you'd end up fighting them here in this cramped elevator shaft. They'll rip my head off before you even have a chance to land a punch."

"I'm starting to think that's not a bad idea," I sighed heavily, looking at Derek.

He gave me the same look before he said, "Then someone needs to get the backup generator running again."

I looked at him blankly before pulling out my phone.

 _ **Sindy Stilinski:**_  Trapped in an elevator shaft with Derek and Jennifer. Need you to head to the backup generator and turn it back on.

 _ **Scott McCall:**_  Don't move. On our way.

 _ **Sindy Stilinski:**_  Btw, Stiles is in the ambulance with Cora.

"I don't think we  _can_  move," I sighed heavily, leaning against the wall. I glanced at Derek as I sat down on the ground. "You know, I imagined us getting stuck in an elevator under much different circumstances."

Derek turned to me, arching a brow. "You've imagined us getting stuck in an elevator?"

"Amongst other things," I shrugged. "For one, we're alone. Two, my father's not kidnapped. Three, an Alpha pack isn't after us. And… well, basically something the  **total**  opposite of this current situation. Now I don't even know if my brother's okay…" I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "He's trapped in an ambulance with your sister and it's killing me to know that he's in this situation right now."

I stood up, and began to pace. I checked my phone, still not seeing any texts from Scott. I bit my bottom lip, pivoting my heel before I could run into the wall.

"Can you  _stop_  that?" Jennifer snapped.

I glared at her before my phone buzzed.

 _ **Stiles Stilinski:**_  Scott just dropped off Peter, who's injured. He's on his way to find his mom and get you guys out. I'm safe. Don't worry.

"Peter's injured and was dropped off in the ambulance. Scott's going back in to get his mom and get us out," I reported. I was still antsy, though.

"Hey," Derek called, making me glance up from my pacing. He held out his arm to me and said, "Come here."

I blinked and walked into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his waist as his enveloped my body, holding me to his chest so I could take in his woodsy scent, along with a mix of blood, rain water, and his sweat. I buried my face into his chest, snuggling into it, ignoring the dirty scents. All I knew was that I had Derek.

Derek pressed his head into my hair, taking in my scent as well. I felt his muscles relax, just as mine had, and I shuffled my feet to get even closer to him.

His body suddenly stiffened again as Jennifer spoke up. "Derek, I know what you're thinking… that I'm using you, that I'm probably nothing like Sindy and that everything that happened between us is a lie… or that I'm evil. A bitch. But I hope you're not thinking the most superficial though: 'Is that her real face? The slashed, mutilated face revealed by the mistletoe… Is that what she really looks like?' After all, not all of us can look as cute as  _your little Sindy_." I heard the bite in her tone and I turned to see her glaring at me.

Derek and I extracted ourselves from each other and I couldn't help but hate how the mood was ruined – even if it wasn't the most appropriate of times. But really, with everything going on around us recently, when  _is_  the right time?

"I could give a flying fuck if you looked like Big Bird, like your scarred face, or the way you look right now," I sighed heavily. "And so could Derek. I'm pretty sure the fact that we're so hostile towards you is because… oh, I don't know… you tried to  **kill**  me and you also  **sacrifice innocent people**." Then I frowned. "Why  _did_  you try to kill me? I'm not a virgin. I'm not a warrior. I'm not… anything you tried to sacrifice."

"Because I thought if  _you_  were out of the way, Derek would be easier to fall into my hands," Jennifer snapped at me. "But you're just so  **stubborn**  and difficult to kill. You're like that stupid little cockroach that is just a pest in my life."

 _Excuse me?_  Did she just compare me to a  _cockroach_?

Derek snarled. "Don't talk about my mate like that."

"What's so special about her anyway, hm?" Jennifer pushed. "Besides the fact that she's a True Mate – your Alpha Female. Take that away and what have you got? A little girl. Why? A man like you? You should be with a woman."

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"There isn't anything special, is there? She's just a little werewolf you found and you just happened to like her enough."

Derek snarled, "For your information, I met her when she was a human. She was dying when I chose to turn her."

"If you want more salt to the wound, we were together when I was a human, too," I piped in, enjoying the way Jennifer's face soured. "Don't try to ridicule my relationship with Derek. I already can't forgive the fact that you have my father hostage."

"Do you even know her real name?" Jennifer snapped, looking at Derek. "Her name's not even Sindy!"

"Oh, he's well aware of that," I responded. "I even have a little nickname he likes to call, too." I played with a lock of my brown hair.  _Ugh_. There was blood on it. I scratched off the dried liquid, watching the dark red flakes fall to the ground. I looked up at Jennifer. "Is Jennifer Blake even  _yours_?"

"Julia Baccari," Jennifer supplied, looking at Derek. "That was my name." What am I? Chopped liver?

"I don't care," Derek responded simply, and my insides did a little happy dance.

 _Agh_. I was turning into one of  _those_  girls. I wouldn't say I was  **jealous**  of Jennifer… er, Julia – whatever. It was probably a petty thing to do, but this "woman" here, just strolled in and wanted to steal  **my**  man. Like,  _hello_?! Like  **that**  was ever going to happen.

I crossed my arms, nodding to myself as I thought about how Derek was immune to his charms. Even almost on his deathbed, he called out for me… and then we found out just what an Alpha Female could really do…

I flushed quietly and placed a hand over my mouth.

It was then I heard the elevator be really quiet and I looked up to see Jennifer looking at Derek and then at me, confused at Derek's expression while rolling her eyes at me. I blinked as I met Derek's green one, and saw a small twinkle of amusement.

My cheeks heated up as I realized Derek could feel my emotions and turned to the corner of the elevator, finding great interest in the way the two walls came together.

"I guess I should have changed it to something with different first letters," Jennifer said, breaking the silence. "I think I read somewhere that people always pick aliases that are subconsciously derivative of their original name. It's a way of not completely letting go of your identity, since your name is so tied to your sense of self. Do you know what else is? … Your face. The one that's supposed to be staring back at you in the mirror. Not some hacked up atrocity you can't even recognize."

"I still don't care," my mate replied bluntly, and I could hear him cross his arms.  _Go, Derek._

"But I bet you're curious," Jennifer pushed, and I rolled my eyes as I looked at the wall. She didn't know Derek at all. He didn't care about the minute details. "I bet you wonder exactly what happened."

"You were an emissary. They tried killing you along with the rest of the pack. Mystery solved."

"I was Kali's emissary. And I was the one she couldn't kill. For years, the Nemeton's power was virtually gone, like the dying ember of a burned out fire. But a few months earlier, something happened that caused that ember to glow a little brighter. Something that gave it a spark of power again. The sacrifice of a virgin… You didn't know what you were doing back then, but killing Paige in the root cellar, sacrificing her there, gave power to the Nemeton. You gave it power again. You gave me power. Just enough to hold on to life a little longer. Long enough to be found."

I could feel Derek's shift in emotions, and I whirled around. I could feel the guilt rolling off of him in waves as he attempted to reign in his emotions. "Derek…" I called soothingly, and he looked at me.

At the sight of me, I saw his walls slowly break down, and his mask was taken off. I walked over to him, and placed a hand on his cheek, making a small shushing sound as I felt his pain.

I knew he was blaming himself for all of these recent deaths… possibly even more. He leaned into my touch, and I closed my eyes, letting our bond take over and just… share his pain.

The connection was broken when Jennifer spoke up again. "You know mistletoe is important to druids, but do you know the myth of why people kiss under mistletoe?"

"No," Derek responded.

"It's a Norse myth," she supplied. "Baldur, the son of Odin, was the most beloved by the other gods, so much that they wanted to protect him from all of the dangers of the world. His mother, Frigg, took an oath from fire and water, metal, stone, and every living thing, that they would never hurt Baldur. At a gathering, they tested him. Stones, arrows, and flame were all hurled at him. Nothing worked. But there was one God who wasn't so enamored of Baldur. The God of Mischief, Loki. Loki discovered that Frigg had forgotten to ask mistletoe, a tiny, seemingly harmless plant. And completely overlooked. Loki fashioned a dart out of mistletoe, and it killed Baldur. Frigg was heartbroken.

"She decreed that mistletoe would never again be used as a weapon and that she would place a kiss on anyone who passed under it. So now we hang mistletoe underneath our door during the holidays… so that we will never overlook it again. We were overlooked… the emissaries. It was a mistake Deucalion and the Alphas should never have made, because I made an oath of my own. From virgins and warriors, from healers, philosophers, and guardians, to loan me their power so that I could teach these monsters that their monstrous actions would never be overlooked."

"You killed innocent people," Derek refuted.

"So have you," she said, and I growled lowly under my breath. "I know the real color of your eyes, Derek. And I know what it means. I'm not asking you to save just my life. I'm asking you to save everyone they'll ever hurt again."

"You can't beat them."

Jennifer gave a small smirk. "Are you sure about that? Boyd asked you right before he died, what happens to a werewolf during a lunar eclipse? You didn't get the chance to tell him, but you know, don't you? What happens, Derek? During the total lunar eclipse?"

"We lose all our power," Derek said quietly, coming to a realization.

All of a sudden, my phone buzzed.

 **Scott McCall:**  We have a plan. Make some noise.

I showed Derek my phone, and he reached for the elevator doors. He pushed them open, making them echo loudly.

With my hearing, I could hear loud echoes of gunshots, before the power suddenly turned back on, and the elevator began to move. Derek pressed the button to the ground floor.

"Hopefully this went well," I said quietly, crossing my arms.

"Yeah," Derek responded, crossing his arms as we waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Derek?" a voice called behind us. "Please, look at me." I looked in the reflection of the door, just in time to see Julia's scarred face and hear her screech before all went black.

" _-ndy. Sindy. Sindy! Sindy, wake up!"_

I groaned and blinked, suddenly blinded by flickering lights. "S – Stiles…?" I mumbled.

"Oh, good," Stiles muttered, before shuffling away. "Derek!" he shouted, and then a slap. "Derek, come on!" Another slap. " _ **DEREK**_!"

I heard a slapping sound make contact and turned to see Derek holding my brother's wrist, which was attached to a ball-up fist.

"Where is she?" Derek demanded, looking around.

"Jennifer?" Stiles inquired. "Gone with Scott's mom."

I sat up slowly, my head throbbing as I heard my mate ask, "She took her?"

"Yeah," Stiles panted out. "And if that's not enough of a kick to the balls, Scott left with Deucalion, okay? So we gotta get you out of here. The police are coming right now, and we gotta get you the hell out of here."

"What about Cora?" Derek inquired as Stiles helped him up. I groaned from where I sat, and then yelped when I was suddenly scooped up.

"C'mon, Sindy," Stiles said. "Any way to heal that throbbing head of yours?"

"Why the hell does it hurt so much?" I groaned, reaching to find where it hurt. I felt my fingers come into contact with liquid and groaned, "Ah, hell."

"Here," Derek said, taking me from Stiles's arms. "Can you handle the police? I'll take care of Sindy."

"Yeah," Stiles nodded. "Yeah, sure. It'd be hard to explain why my sister has a bleeding head but no head wound anyway." He leaned down, kissing my forehead. "Be careful, okay?"

"Should be telling you that," I mumbled, before I felt myself bounce slightly as Derek carried me out of the hospital. "Y'know, not how I imagined you carrying me bridal style…" I sighed out.

"Maybe someday," Derek responded simply, before buckling me up into his car. He quickly peeled out, and I could feel the throbbing slowly fade away.

I lurched in my seat as Derek stopped the car suddenly opening the door. I rolled down my window, hoping to get some clear air and listen.

"Where's Scott, Stiles, and Sindy?!" Allison called.

"Stiles is still at the hospital. He's gonna hold off the cops for us. Sindy's in the car. She has a head injury. We have to go right now."

"What about Scott and Melissa?" Chris asked.

"Jennifer took Melissa." Isaac looked at me as he popped open the door for Derek to slide Cora in. The curly haired boy gave me a small look of concern and I waved him off, already feeling my head stop being so woozy.

"What about Scott?" Allison pushed. "Derek, where's Scott?"

I pushed open the door, now feeling fully healed. "He… He left with Deucalion," I declared, almost stumbling. I would've fallen if Isaac hadn't caught me. Looks like I wasn't as fully healed as I thought.

"… What do we do now?" Isaac asked, helping me up.

I shook my head, unable to respond. "I don't know."


	60. Risk

**FRIDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 14, 2011**

I stood beside Derek quietly, looking down at Cora, who wasn't getting any better. In fact, she… she was getting worse.

Isaac approached us from behind and asked, "She's dying, isn't she?"

"I don't know," Derek responded hoarsely.

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know."

"Want to figure something out? Because while Scott, Stiles, and Sindy were out there trying to help people from being killed, where were you? At the school, flirting with the actual killer! Do you know how many people she's killed? Erica and Boyd are  _dead_ , Cora is  _dying_ and you are doing  _nothing_!"

"Isaac," I said quietly, but Derek shook his head, allowing the young boy to keep going.

"Why'd you do this to us, Derek?" Isaac asked helplessly. "Was it all about the power? Were you bored? Were you  _lonely_?"

Derek looked at up at our faux-pup. Regardless of the lack of blood relation, Isaac was just like his child… my child…  _our_  child. "Maybe," he admitted, and I felt a sharp pang of pain in my heart.

Since the arrival of the Alpha Pack, I knew I was spending more and more time with Scott and Stiles, especially now that they were involved, and… I supposed I wasn't there as much as Derek needed me to be. I suppose he was just seeking out some sort of friendship, but any relationship that he has built as shifted slightly. Even I had taken Scott's stance on what was occurring.

I didn't regret my decision – not one bit. But it did make me feel that I was slightly neglectful.

Sensing my shift in my mood, Derek looked at me with soft, gentle green eyes before declaring, "I told Cora I wouldn't leave. I'll help the others when I figure out how to help her."

" _ **There's no time**_!" Isaac roared, his shout echoing in the large loft. I heard his angry footsteps shuffle so they headed towards the door. "The full moon's coming. The sheriff and Melissa are gonna be dead, so I'm gonna try and help them. You can sit here and perfect the art of doing  _nothing_."

He growled out the last word and slammed the door shut behind him after he left.

"Derek…" I reached forward, touching my mate's shoulder. His hand went up to hold my wrist and then touch the back of my hand gently.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "Go help the others. I'll be there as soon as I can."

I looked down at Cora's exhausted, sweaty body, before nodding slowly. I trusted Derek to find a way. I leaned down, kissing his scruffy cheek softly, before standing up. I gave a small nod of acknowledgement to Peter, before leaving.

I slid into my car, driving to the Argents' because that's where everyone was, undoubtedly. I spotted Isaac's silhouette storming angrily in the same direction and pulled up beside him.

Isaac turned to look at me as I rolled down the window. "Are you here to defend Derek?" he asked.

"He doesn't need any defending," I answered simply. "And being mad at him isn't going to help anyone. We all make mistakes, Isaac."

"Some more so than others," Isaac muttered out.

I leaned outside my window to look up at him a bit better. "That's true," I agreed, not bothering to soften the blow. "Derek's not perfect. Scott isn't perfect. Stiles isn't perfect. You and I aren't perfect. We'll make decisions we'll come to regret – some have minor consequences, some have stronger ones. It just so happens that Derek's actions have caused rasher, harsher consequences, but Isaac, Derek isn't the bad guy, here. That's Jennifer, so get in the car and let's go kick some ass."

A flitter of a smirk crept onto Isaac's face, showing that I was successful in my attempt to cheer him up.

He climbed into my car, and I drove to the Argents' house. It didn't take long for me to arrive into their house, and with a sharp twist of the doorknob, the door opened.

"Whoa," I heard my brother say just before I heard the sound of a gun clicking. "I thought you guys were retired."

"Retired, yes," Chris's voice agreed. "Defenseless, no. Make sure your phone's on. If you hear from Scott, you let us know immediately."

"Yeah," Stiles muttered. "I'm thinking that's gonna be kind of unlikely."

"Both of you, try to remember he's just doing what he thinks is right," Chris moved to defend the young wolf.

Isaac walked to the office and stood there. "I can't shoot a gun or use a crossbow, but… well, I'm…" He extended his claws out. "I'm getting pretty good with these."

"I can help, too," I declared, stepping into the room. I walked over to where my brother was, and he greeted me with a small nod.

Chris nodded before looking at Isaac. "Isaac, you'll come with Allison and me to the bank. Since Jennifer failed to kill Deaton there, there's a high chance that she'll show up there again. Stiles, you find Lydia. She might try to go after her again, too."

"What about me?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

Chris's eyes fell on me before he asked, "There's something going on with Cora, isn't there? Doesn't Derek need you right now?"

I bit my lip, before nodding quietly. "Text or call me if anything happens. I'll come as soon as I can." I directed the last part to Isaac and Stiles, especially Stiles.

"Got it," my brother nodded in confirmation. I turned to my Beta, who gave me a curt nod as well.

I glanced at both of them, before turning to the Argents. They gave me small nods, before I glanced at Chris one more time. I felt like he had a plan up his sleeve that he wasn't sharing with us, but regardless, I chose to trust him right now.

I left the room, closing the door behind me to rejoin my mate.

I drove back to the loft, taking the steps up by twos or threes in order to rejoin Peter, Derek, and Cora sooner. I threw open the door just in time to see Derek breathing heavily as he took away more of Cora's pain.

Immediately, I could feel the pain seep through my nerves, sending a wave of hurt through my body emotionally. I winced, just as Peter called out warningly to Derek, "Careful…"

Derek let go of Cora, breathing heavily. "Don't worry," he panted out, a drop of sweat falling down the side of his face. "I know going too far could kill me."

"That's not exactly what I meant," Peter quipped, giving me a quick glance. "Remember, when you take someone's pain, you're not the only one that feels it."

Derek's eyes darted to me, and I looked away. I bit my lower lip, not sure if I should say anything. He was just trying to lessen his sister's suffering, but by doing so, it could hurt me, too, because it was hurting him.

"Although…" Peter said quietly, as a thoughtful look crossed his handsome features.

My caramel eyes darted over to the older werewolf, along with Derek's. "What is it?" my mate demanded, looking at his uncle impatiently.

"I've heard it's something only an Alpha can do," Peter said. "And with good reason," he added as an afterthought.

"Which is?" Derek pushed as I crossed my arms over my chest, focusing on the ex-Alpha's words.

"You know normal wolves never abandon an injured member of the pack," Peter explained, standing up and walking. "They care for it. They bring it food from a kill and then regurgitate it into the mouth of the injured wolf. They even give it physical and emotional comfort by intensely grooming it. In a way, they can do more than just ease pain. They can be instrumental in healing their own."

"If you're trying to tell me I can save her, just  _tell me_ ," Derek growled softly.

"I'm telling you, I've heard it's possible."

I narrowed my eyes. "How?" I asked suspiciously, not too sure about what Peter was saying.

"It's that spark of power that makes you an Alpha. When you take her pain, she draws on the power that provides you with those special gifts. The power that heightens your senses, your strength," Peter explained. "The power that transforms your body. As an Alpha, you have that bit of extra that spark intensifies the color of your eyes from a bright yellow into a searing red."

"If I can save her…"

" _If_ ," Peter corrected firmly. " **If**. I didn't say it works every time. It could just as easily kill you. And if you die, who knows what will happen to Sindy and the rest of your pack."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. Thinking of Derek dying was not a pleasing thought. In fact, it was probably one of my worst nightmares.

And what's worse?

I wasn't sure that I could continue living if Derek died. I would probably die myself, starting from the inside going outwards.

"How do I do it?" Derek demanded, looking sternly at his uncle. "By taking her pain?"

"And then some," Peter answered vaguely, a small look in his eyes. "Because there's a cost."

"What's the cost?" I asked quietly, making the two men to me. It was almost like they had forgotten I was also in the room.

"His status as an Alpha," Peter responded darkly. I felt my own Alpha surge in protest, and struggled to reign it in. Derek losing his Alpha powers? "I can understand not seeing a downside to this, as you haven't exactly been Alpha of the Year, but think about what else you'd be losing."

A soft growl escaped from my lips as the Beta insulted my mate, but the small growl subsided when Derek spoke up.

"I don't care about power," he admitted. "Not anymore."

"What about the power to fight back? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Kali's ultimatum still stands. The full moon is tomorrow night, and if you couldn't beat her as an Alpha, how do you think you're going to fare as a Beta?"

"I don't care." Derek's voice was soft, barely audible, but filled with a heavy conviction. He was going to save his sister. He was going to do it. I could tell.

"What if this was exactly what Jennifer was hoping for? She would know the only way for you to save Cora would be giving up your power. Maybe that's what she was going to have you do at the hospital."

"Why?" Derek and I questioned at the same time.

"So that you wouldn't be able to face the Alphas without her. She wants  _you_  to come to  _her_. It's all part of her little seduction, and she is seducing you. She needs you on her side."

I winced at the idea of Jennifer seducing Derek. I knew she could physically control him. She couldn't seduce him mentally, but she could definitely do it when he loses his Alpha powers and his extra bit of strength.

"It has to be now," Derek said with conviction. "I don't have a choice."

"You  _always_  have a choice," Peter said, for once sounding like an older figure that one could trust, rather than an enemy. "It's whether or not you can live with the consequences: facing Kali as a Beta. You also have to think about your little mate, as well."

"What do you mean?" I asked, just as Derek's eyes snapped over to where I was standing.

Peter sighed heavily before filling him in, "Sindy is your True Mate, Derek. Your strength is also hers."

"Does that mean I lose my Alpha status, too?" I asked wearily. To be honest, I liked my Alpha status, but if it would save Cora and make Derek happy, I'd give it up in a heartbeat.

Peter shook his head. "No, you wouldn't. You'd still be an Alpha, but because your mate – Derek – is giving up his strength, yours will drop as well. You'll still be stronger than most Alphas, since you're a True Mate, but remember your strength comes from your entire pack. The stronger your drive, the stronger you become. But… you're only as strong as the members of your pack."

I bit the inside of my cheek, but nodded. My strength would go down a little bit, but I could live with that. I opened my mouth to say something, when I was interrupted by a sharp vibration in my pocket.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my cell phone, which informed me that I had a new text. I opened it, reading the contents.

 **Allison Argent:**  Dad's been taken by Jennifer.

I bit the inside of my cheek as the dread spread throughout my body. Chris made three. Jennifer had enough for a sacrifice now.

"What is it?" Peter asked, seeing my troubled expression. Derek turned to look at me curiously as well.

I glanced over at my mate the dread spreading through my body even more as I realized that I'd have to leave Derek to handle this situation. No doubt Stiles wouldn't react positively to this news.

"Allison's dad was just taken by Jennifer," I informed the two older male werewolves. "That makes three. I'm going to have to leave."

"It's gotta be now," Derek said firmly, turning to Peter. "I don't have a choice."

"You always have a choice," Peter responded. "It's whether or not you can live with the consequences, facing Kali as a Beta."

"But it's not just a full moon coming. It's a lunar eclipse. We'll all be powerless."

"Completely?" I asked for clarification. I had read it briefly in one of the Hale Family diaries Derek had handed to me months ago.

Derek nodded in confirmation. "We won't be able to transform at all."

"I don't know if you should do that, Derek," I said warily. "Facing Kali as a Beta is suicide enough. Now as a human?"

"She'll be human, too," he responded. "We both will."

Glancing at Peter and Derek, I debated my options. I had no doubts that Derek would give up that spark for Cora. There wasn't much I could do here, except maybe give Derek some extra energy. But…

My phone vibrated and I glanced down at it.

 **Lydia Martin:**  Stiles is having a panic attack. Come ASAP.

My free hand balled up into a tight fist, straining it so much that it felt like my knuckles could rip.

"Go," Derek ordered, giving a firm nod.

At his insistence, I nodded firmly. I walked over to him quickly, grabbing him around the collar. I caught him by surprise as I slammed my lips against his, but he quickly relaxed and returned my kiss. I nibbled his lip gently, before releasing him.

"Be safe," I said softly, looking at him.

"I will," Derek nodded. He reached up, brushing a lock behind my ear. "You, too."

I gave Derek one last kiss before quickly leaving the loft. I ran down the stairs quickly, rushing to my car. Slipping the key into place, I turned on my car before my tires squealed as I headed towards the school.

Less than fifteen minutes later, I arrived in the school. Tracking down Stiles's scent quickly, I headed to the locker room, throwing the door open.

Lydia and Stiles jumped at the sound, quickly turning to me.

"Sindy…" Stiles breathed out in relief.

"Stiles," I responded, striding over to him quickly. I bent down to where he was sitting while Lydia stood back up. "How are you feeling? Lydia said you were having a panic attack."

"I – I did," Stiles admitted, nodding his head before swallowing a large lump in his throat. "Better now."

"How'd you calm him down?" I questioned curiously, turning to look at Lydia.

"I – uh… I read somewhere that… to stop a panic attack, you can just have them hold their breath," Lydia responded, a little bit awkwardly.

I felt the shift in the air, but ignored the feeling. Stiles and Lydia were looking at each other, almost like they were having a little moment.

It didn't take long for me to piece together  _how_  Lydia made Stiles hold his breath.

"Oh," I said dully. "Smart."

Lydia scoffed. "If I was really smart, I would tell you two to sign up sessions with the guidance counselor. Clearly, you both have issues."

I arched a brow at the strawberry blonde, before I felt a hand grab my arm. I turned back to my brother who looked at me seriously with a thoughtful look. "Morrell," he declared.

My eyes widened before I helped Stiles up, and the three of us rushed to the guidance counselor's office.

I threw the door open, causing the weak wood to slam against the wall. It bounced back towards me, but I pushed it again. I stepped inside, with Stiles and Lydia right behind me.

"Are you here for Ms. Morrell?" Stiles asked Danielle, who was sitting in the chair opposite of the desk.

"No, I thought this was gym class," the girl responded sarcastically.

"Sweetheart," Lydia gave her a no-nonsense look. "We're not in the mood for funny. Do you know where she is?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be waiting here for twenty minutes. So how about you three back out the door and wait your turn?"

"We're not here for a session," Lydia responded.

"Well, I am," Danielle responded in a firm tone. "And I've got some serious issues to work on."

"Hey, wait, wait," Stiles interrupted, stepping forward. "You're Danielle… You're Heather's best friend."

"I  _was_  Heather's best friend," she corrected. "We've been working on that issue three times a week."

"Hold on," Lydia looked thoughtful, "did you say Ms. Morrell's twenty minutes late?"

"And I don't know why, either," Danielle responded. "She's  _always_  on time."

"I was seeing her at the beginning of the semester," Lydia informed us. "She was never late."

"Then she's not late, she's missing," my brother declared.

I bit my lip, wondering if the Alphas and/or Scott got to her first. She definitely knew something that was for sure.

"What if we're not the only ones who think she knows something?" Lydia asked, looking at us. She looked at me. "What do you think?"

"I'm 90% sure she's the Alphas' emissary," I responded. "She might be with the Alphas right now, as we're speaking.

"I wanna know what she knows," Stiles said, lunging to Ms. Morrell's desk. He pulled open her drawers, and began to rustle through them.

"What are you doing?" Lydia demanded.

"Trying to find her."

"Those files are private," Danielle stressed.

Lydia looked at me. "Yeah, she's kind of right. You should stop him."

Interesting how she thought that I could stop my brother when he was on a roll. Okay, actually, I can, but Stiles was on to something and I wasn't about to stop him.

Thankfully, my brother found the perfect distraction.

He held out a manila file in Lydia's direction. "That one's yours."

I could see the curiosity struggle on Lydia's face before she demanded, "Let me see that." She took the file, flipping through the pages.

I spotted a familiar drawing in her file, but I couldn't place  _where_  exactly I saw it. It looked  _extremely_  familiar, thought.

"Wait, Lydia," Stiles stopped her. I sure hoped he knew what that drawing was. No one paid close attention to Lydia like the way Stiles did. "That's your drawing."

"Yeah, I know. It's a tree," Lydia pointed out the obvious.

"Yeah, good, too," Danielle piped in.

The girl turned to the darker one. "Thank you."

"No, but that's the  _same_  one, though," Stiles pointed out, standing up.

Lydia furrowed her brows slightly, not understanding. "Same as  _what_?"

"The same one I always see you drawing in class."

"It's a tree. I like drawing trees."

I took the paper from her, looking at the detailed picture. Drawn in black ink on white paper, the tree had long, thin branches with no leaves. Overall, it was a pretty good dead tree.

"No, but it's the  _exact_  same one. Don't you see?" He walked over to us, grabbing my wrist and positioning the picture of the tree next to Lydia's other picture of a tree. "Give me your bag," he demanded Lydia.

He rustled into her bag and pulled out her composition notebook. He flipped to a page. "There, see?" He flipped through the pages, and I saw page after page after page of the  **exact**  same tree drawing – just in different sizes.

"Okay, you can have my session," Danielle declared, grabbing her stuff. "You got bigger issues."

I glanced at the picture, seeing the tree. Suddenly, Stiles turned the tree upside down, and I realized what it was. It was a tree, but what I thought were branches weren't the branches. They were the roots… the roots of the…

"The Nemeton," I muttered out. I made eye contact with my brother, and he nodded curtly.

We stormed out of the office, with Lydia close behind us.

"What is this?" she demanded, looking at the drawing she created.

"It's the Nemeton," Stiles informed quickly. "That's where she's keeping them. It has to be–" He came to an abrupt stop and I felt his hand shoot out, wrapping around my wrist tightly.

I glanced down at his grip before my eyes trailed up to see what had stopped him in his tracks.

"Stilinski," Agent Rafael McCall greeted both Stiles and me.

" _Agh_ ," my brother groaned out, and I knew I couldn't escape. The agent knew me and where my brother went, there was a ninety percent chance that I was there as well, therefore, what he knew, there was a ninety percent chance that I knew.

Stiles turned to Lydia and whispered harshly, "All right, look, go to Derek, okay? He and Peter – they've been there before, so they'll know where it is. Tell them it's the root cellar, all right? They'll know."

"Tell Peter if he doesn't tell the truth, I'm kicking his ass," I added. Derek would be too tired to respond, and he also told me that his mother had wiped his memory of the incident – at least, the location.

Lydia nodded and walked off quickly, and I felt a presence behind us. Agent McCall stared down at us, observing us with keen, focused eyes. "Did you know your dad's car is in the school parking lot and has been since last night?"

"No," Stiles lied. "What does that mean?"

Agent McCall sighed and said, "It means he's officially missing. Why don't the three of us have a little chat?" He gestured to the open door of an empty room.

Stiles and I sat on a desk, before Agent McCall sat on the teacher's, looking at us. "Stiles, Sindy, why am I getting the feeling that you two know something that could help us find your guys' dad?"

"If we did, why would we not tell you?" Stiles quipped, and I decided to just let my brother handle this. Handling the cops and other non-supernatural beings was usually his job, anyway.

"If it meant helping your dad, why wouldn't you?"

"So you're asking me to tell you what I wouldn't not tell you?"

My brother at his confusing finest.

"First, I have no idea what you just said. Second, how about you just help me help you?"

"Well, I don't know how to help you help me tell you something that would help you if I don't know it."

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Agent McCall demanded in an exasperated tone.

Maybe it was because of the fact that we were twins, or maybe I just had the ability, but I understood perfectly what Stiles was saying.

"I don't know anything, okay? Can I just go?" Stiles sighed heavily.

Agent McCall looked at me. I blinked and said, "Hey, no secrets between Stiles and me. If I don't know something, he doesn't know it. If I know something, he knows. We're a package deal."

"Where are your other friends?" Agent McCall interrogated.

"You mean Scott?" Stiles and I questioned at the same time, arching identical brows.

Agent McCall pulled out a notebook and flipped it open. "I mean Scott. I mean Isaac Lahey, Allison Argent, these twins, Ethan and Aiden. I've been told your whole little clique didn't show up at school today. In fact, Sindy, you were reported absent from all classes today. Why are you here?"

"Bad stomachache," I lied easily. "Had some pretty bad sushi last night."

"Why is Stiles just fine?"

"Because I went on a date with my boyfriend."

"Where is said boyfriend?"

"I thought we were trying to help you help us find our dad. How's finding my boyfriend going to help you help us find our dad? By the way, there's no  _clique_."

I could see Agent McCall's patience wavering and he sighed. "Stiles, Sindy," he said firmly. "There's been a pretty disturbing amount of violent activity in this county in the last few months, several murders tied to this school. I don't know what's going on here, but it's serious."

Did he think we didn't  **know**  that?

Dad was missing. Melissa was missing. Chris was missing.

There have been  **twelve**  murders. All by the hands of Jennifer. Boyd is  **dead** , Cora is  **dying** , and Derek wasn't even an Alpha anymore.

"Hey," Agent McCall called for our attention, seeing the grim looks on our faces. "Your guys' dad is missing." You think we didn't know that, too? I kept my mouth shut, though. "Fine," he conceded, standing up. "But I don't want you two going home alone. Do you have someone you can stay with tonight?"

"They're with me," a familiar voice called, and I turned to the doorway, to see Dr. Deaton standing there.

I glanced up at the man and greeted him. "Dr. Deaton."

"Stiles and Sindy will be with me," Dr. Deaton said, stepping inside. "My name is Dr. Allen Deaton."

Agent McCall looked at the three of us quietly, before nodding his head. "Very well. Call me if you need anything."

We gave him curt nods, and he walked away.

"Isaac and Allison are already at the clinic," Dr. Deaton informed us. "Where's Lydia?"

"Trying to get the location of the Nemeton from Peter and Derek," Stiles filled in as we exited the school.

I suddenly felt a heavy pang in my chest and groaned softly. I leaned against Stiles for support, who quickly wrapped his arms around me. My knees began to buckle, before they fully gave up, but thankfully, Stiles caught me easily.

"What's going on?" Stiles demanded, looking at Dr. Deaton hurriedly.

I took in deep, heavy breaths, as I felt my strength begin to dwindle. My wolf struggled to fight free, seeing the slip up in my control

"We have to get her to the clinic," Dr. Deaton said quickly. "Come on."

Stiles helped me to his jeep, pushing me inside it so I lied across the back seat. He climbed into the driver's side quickly, and took off with a screech.

I groaned in pain as my heart and pulse raced, and I could feel my claws and teeth elongate. I let out a roar of pain, and the car swerved briefly in shock, before quickly regaining itself.

I let out another roar again, before the door suddenly threw itself open and two pairs of hands grabbed me. I took in the familiar sharp, minty mixed with dirt scent that belonged solely to Isaac as he carried me in his arms.

"What's going on?" I heard him demand.

"I – I – I don't know," Stiles stuttered out.

I groaned and winced in pain, causing Isaac to almost drop me at the sudden shift of my body. I balled my clawed hands into tight fists, and just wanted to howl.

So I did.

I let out the loudest roar I could muster, and felt it mix with the air above me, along with a faint, very distant howl.

 _Derek_.

I slumped in Isaac's arms, panting heavily when my howl died out. I felt a few droplets of sweat slide down the side of my face and I opened my eyes slowly.

My vision was blurry, but after a couple blinks, I was able to focus.

"Sindy?" Stiles's face focused in my line of vision.

"… Hi," I said lamely, my breath steadying.

"You've got quite the set of lungs," Dr. Deaton said calmly from a few feet away.

"You can put me down now, Isaac," I said quietly. The young boy looked at me for a couple seconds, before placing me down. I held onto his shoulder so I could steady myself, and glanced at the three males and Allison. "Sorry about that."

"What was that?" Allison asked the question that was undoubtedly in everyone's minds.

I bit my lip, having a good idea of what had occurred. I looked down at my hands, which were slightly blood from where my claws dug into them. I flexed them, seeing my claws.

I felt…  _different_. Not physically, but… for some odd reason, I didn't feel as strong as I originally was. I blinked, turning to look into the wing mirror of Stiles's jeep. My eyes were less of a sunset reddish orange… they were more red than orange now.

"Derek," I responded vaguely. "He's healed Cora, but at a price."

"What price?" Isaac questioned, looking down at me with a serious look in his eyes.

"His status as an Alpha," I said quietly. "Derek's no longer an Alpha, and I guess it was because I was his mate, I – I was able to feel the switch in power. I'm – I'm the Alpha now. Besides Scott, that is."

Stiles suddenly pulled out his phone. His face fell grim as the skies started to darken around us. "Peter and Derek don't where the Nemeton is… And… like Sindy said, Derek's no longer an Alpha. Lydia's joining us soon."

"We should take this inside," Dr. Deaton suggested, leading us all into the clinic.

I took the water bottle he offered me once we were inside gratefully, and downed all five-hundred milliliters of it in a few seconds.

I heard a car stop outside the clinic, and a few seconds later, Lydia's heels came clacking into the room. "I got nothing," she reported.

Stiles leaned over a table, where a map was already placed. "It has to be on a telluric current, or maybe even at the axis of two or where they all intersect. I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die."

"My dad and Gerard were there once," Allison informed. "But Gerard said it was years ago, and he couldn't remember where it was. And my dad… obviously isn't here to tell us, now."

"Yeah," Stiles swallowed. "Mine either."

"Then how do we find this place?" Isaac cocked his head to the side.

"There might be a way," Deaton looked up from his thinking. "But it's dangerous. We're gonna need Scott."

"Let's get him, then," I said, pulling out my cell phone.

 **Sindy Stilinski:**  Pick up, jerk. We found out where our parents might be.

A couple seconds later, my phone vibrated, signifying an incoming call from Scott. I answered the call, holding the phone up to my ear.

" _Where are you guys?"_

"We're at Deaton's," I responded promptly, glancing over at Stiles. His eyes met mine and he asked a silent question that I immediately understood. "Where are you?"

"…  _In the woods,"_  Scott replied after a while.  _"I was with the Alphas and we were looking for Miss Morrell."_

I glanced at Stiles and mouthed,  _"Forest,"_  to him. He nodded his head and pulled out his keys, waving them in a silent gesture to me. I focused back on the phone and told Scott, "We'll meet you out on the edge."

I hung the phone up, and Stiles and I left the clinic. "You sure you're up for it?" Stiles asked as I slid into the passenger seat.

Slamming the door shut, I spared Stiles and Deaton a glance. "It was just temporary," I replied, buckling up. I placed a hand on my chest. "Derek's fine, now."  _No longer an Alpha, but fine._

Stiles drove to the edge of the forest, and Scott strode over to us. "How'd you guys find out?" he asked.

"Lydia," Stiles replied. "You?"

"Morrell. None of the other Alphas know where it is either."

"So if this works, are we gonna tell them?" Stiles's eyes darted from Scott to me, to Deaton, and then to Scott again.

"We can't stop Jennifer without them," Scott pointed out. I didn't mind Ethan and Aiden helping us, but I was still wary on Deucalion and Kali. I bit my bottom lip, not sure what to do entirely.

Deaton looked at us before suggesting, "How about we concentrate on finding your parents first?"

"What's the plan?" Scott glanced at his boss.

"Essentially, you, Allison, Stiles, and Sindy need to be surrogate sacrifices for your parents."

Scott turned to me, a bit of disbelief in his eyes. "We die for them?"

"Quite literally," I added, nodding curtly.

"But he can bring us back," Stiles said. A silence fell briefly and he glanced at Deaton nervously, "You can… You  _can_  bring us back, right?"

"You remember the part where I said it was dangerous?" Deaton asked my brother. My face turned sour.  _Everything_  we did was dangerous these days. Was there  _anything_  that wasn't life-threatening anymore these days?

Seeing our solemn faces, Deaton continued, "If it goes right, the four of you will be dead for a few seconds. But there's something you need to think about. This is a dangerous thing for more reason than one. You'll be giving power back to the Nemeton, a place that hasn't had power for a long time. This kind of power is like a magnet. It attracts the supernatural – the kind of things that a family like the Argents can fill the pages of a bestiary with. It will draw them here – like a beacon."

"Doesn't sound any worse than anything we've already seen," Stiles shrugged.

 _Annnnddd_  Stiles just jinxed us. Now I wouldn't be surprised if weird fox spirits came about and created destruction everywhere. I mean, we have were _wolves_  and were- _coyotes_. Why not were- _foxes_ , too?

Deaton gave Stiles a pointed look. "You'd be surprised at what you have yet to see."

"Is that it?" Scott asked.

"No," Deaton shook his head. "It'll also have an effect on the four of you. You won't be able to  _see_  it, but you'll  _feel_  every day for the rest of our lives. It'll be a kind of a…  _darkness_  around your heart – and permanent – like a scar."

"Like a tattoo," Scott whispered in realization.

"You'll need to gather items that represent your parents," Deaton advised. "We don't have much time, so be as fast as possible."

I nodded, and the four of us piled into Stiles's jeep, before Stiles dropped Deaton off first. Scott, from there, ran, and Stiles and I rode back home.

Within ten minutes, we were back at the clinic. As I got out of the jeep, I immediately felt it in the air. I darted inside, following the presence and threw the doors to the operating room open.

My arms circled around Derek's strong, broad body and I pushed myself against him as close as I could. "Oh my God," I breathed out, unsure if this was really him or not.

His hands ran over my back and my nape, holding me, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. It really  _was_  him. I glanced up, seeing Derek's weary, tired green eyes looking down at me.

There was a change in him, I realized… A stronger submission… I was the Alpha now. I was  _his_  Alpha now. At the realization, I felt a surge of strength flow through me – a dominance. In response, Derek's eyes flashed electric blue for a swift second before fading to his pale green.

I pulled the front of his shirt down, pressing his lips against mine.

He returned the kiss, his hands falling to my hips and holding me close to him. It was a soft, gentle kiss that just shared the comfort that we needed, especially right now.

We pulled away slowly, and I lifted my heavy eyelids to look up at him. There was an uncomfortable clearing of the throat, and I glanced over to look at my brother, who was the source of the sound.

I untangled myself from Derek, and looked over at Deaton, who nodded. "All right," he said, calling for all of our attention. "What did you bring?"

"Um, I got my dad's badge," Stiles said, holding up the crushed sheriff's badge. "Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand, so I tried hammering it out a bit. Still doesn't look great."

"Well, it doesn't need to look good if it has meaning."

I held up a small spray that I carried around with me all the time. "Ever since I was a little girl, he made me carry this around. It's pepper spray and I've never had to use it, but I figured this time around, it'll help me out."

"My dad made this," Allison announced, holding up a silver bullet. "It's kind of a ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the code."

"My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in their marriage that ever worked." Scott looked down at the thin watch he had in his hand.

"Okay, the four of you will get in," Deaton gestured to the ice baths. "Each of us will hold you down until you're essentially… Well,  _dead_. But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back: someone that has a strong connection to you, a kind of emotional tether."

I glanced up at Derek and I felt his fingers lace with mine. He kissed the top of my head gently, and I closed my eyes.

I opened my eyes again, just to see Lydia make eye contact with Allison, walking over to her. "Lydia," Deaton called, interrupting her stride. "You go with Stiles.

Allison looked at Deaton curiously. "Are you sure? I mean, Scott and I both have to go under."

"It's okay," Scott hoarsely whispered, realizing Isaac would be paired up with Allison. He walked away and I moved to go after him.

When we were away from everyone else, Scott confessed, "That hurt a lot more than it should have."

"I don't think so," I replied quietly, looking at Scott. "I mean… she's your first love, isn't she? You're right to be hurt. I might not know much about it myself, but, I'm pretty sure you'll find another girl who will make you laugh as hard as Allison did, make you smile so widely your cheeks hurt as much as Allison did, and make you hurt as  _less_  as Allison did. You're a great guy, Scott, and don't ever think that there's no one left for you."

Scott gave me a small smile and reached over, hugging me. I took in his familiar musky scent and returned the gesture. Stiles stepped in at that moment and he humorously called out, "Thanks for the invite, guys. Don't mind me."

"Get over here," Scott laughed softly, before he and I opened an arm for Stiles to join. My brother grinned before stepping in, wrapping his arms around Scott and I.

The three of us stood there, holding each other tightly. Like we were afraid to let go. We  _are_  afraid to let each other go.

Even if it was temporarily, this was death. And to be honest? I wouldn't mind dying for my friends and family – I wouldn't mind it if I could go with these guys, because there's no place I'd rather be than with them.

With that realization, we broke apart. I gave Stiles a hug before Stiles hugged Scott. The two boys stepped out of the room, giving me privacy to change.

Once I stepped out – barefoot and in nothing but a thin, black dress and underwear – I took my place between Stiles and Scott.

I glanced back at Derek, who was standing behind me, waiting for me. To push me under, and to pull me back. His eyes gave me everything I needed to see.

 _I love you, too_ , I thought before turning back to the tub of ice. I gripped the cold sides of it, the pepper spray in my hands, and stepped inside the cold tub.

Instinctively, I felt the shivers crawl up my spine, before it numbed as I settled myself down into it. I was submerged from the neck down, and I was absolutely freezing.

"B – By the way," Stiles stuttered out, cold. "If I don't make it back and you do, you should probably know something: Your dad's in town."

I exhaled shakily as the coldness seeped all over my skin, pinching it. Derek's warm hands clasped over my shoulders, wrapping around them powerfully.

I looked up, and the last thing I saw or remembered seeing was Derek's pale green eyes looking down at me, never leaving eye contact.

And then…  _darkness_.


	61. Lunar Eclipse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoopsies. I had this posted a while ago on FF-net but forgot to post it up here. T^T I'M SO SORRY.

**SATURDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 15, 2011**

I gasped for breath as I suddenly couldn't breathe. I pushed myself out of the tub of water, and was temporarily blinded.

I wiped the water from my face as I found myself in a white room, and glanced over at my companions.

We slowly climbed out of our tubs, and my bare feet touched the cold tiles. Water was dripping all over, and I tried to see if there as anything in this blank, large room.

When I turned around, I spotted something dark in the distance. As we got closer and closer to it, I realized that it was a tree stump. I furrowed my brows, looking down at the old thing, unsure of what it was.

I cautiously reached out, touching the wood gently.

My mind then darted to a memory that was oh-so long ago, but not at the same time.

_It was strange._

_I could see myself – my human self from nine months ago – standing off in the distance. Just a few feet away, Stiles was being dragged away by my father._

_All of a sudden, I saw myself tense, before turning back. My eyes followed my human self to see a dark figure hidden in the trees._

_Now, I'd recognize that figure anywhere. I was right in seeing that it was Derek who was watching me, and I subconsciously moved to get a better look at him._

_I stumbled as my legs hit something, and I turned to see what had stopped me from moving._

_The same old tree stump that I had seen in that white room with Allison, Stiles, and Scott stood before me. My eyes widened in realization, finally seeing what it was:_ The Nemeton _._

_I reached down to touch it, and I closed my eyes._

I found myself gasping for breath once again as I emerged from the tub of ice-cold water. I breathed in the fresh air, my lungs screaming for oxygen.

_Shit. The Nemeton._

"I saw it!" Scott declared. "I know where it is!"

"We passed it," Stiles added as we all scrambled out of the tub. "There's – There's a stump. This huge tree. Well, it's not huge anymore. It was cut down. But it's still big, though, very big."

"In the forest," I gasped out, pushing some of my locks out of my face as everyone gathered around us. "It – It was–"

"It was the night we were looking for the body," Scott provided for me.

"Yeah, the same night you were bit by Peter," Stiles agreed.

My eyes met pale green and I said, "The first night I saw you."

"I was there, too. In the car with my mother," Allison spoke up. "We almost hit someone."

Scott glanced up and turned to Allison. "It was me. You almost hit me." I exhaled deeply, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. Scott turned to our audience and declared, "We can find it."

The four exchanged looks and at that, Allison inquired, "What?"

Isaac swallowed a lump in his throat and explained, "Uh, you guys were out a long time."

"How long is a long time?" Stiles asked.

"Sixteen hours," Deaton provided for us. I winced and took a glance out the windows to see it was bright outside.

"We've been in the water for sixteen hours?" Scott asked his boss.

"And the full moon rises in less than four," Deaton informed us.

I bit my lip. That hardly gave us any time. Then I realized something. I whirled to my mate, who was watching things unfold quietly. "You were here for sixteen hours?"

"I couldn't leave you," Derek informed me. "You needed me."

I nodded quietly. "I do," I agreed. "But there's someone else that needs you more than I do right now." As much as I wanted Derek to stay here with me, I knew that Cora needed him more. "Go," I told him gently. "Scott and Stiles and Isaac can take care of me here. Go to Cora. We'll see you tonight, no doubt."

Derek looked conflicted, unsure of whether to truly leave or not.

I walked over to him and cradled his face gently. "Go," I told him. "I can take care of myself, Derek. If anything goes wrong, I  _promise_  I'll call you."

After a couple seconds of silence, my mate relented, nodding curtly. He leaned down, placing his soft lips on the center of my forehead. He ran his large hand through my wet locks and pulled back, looking down at me.

"Be careful," he advised. I gave him a small smile before he pivoted, quickly striding out of the clinic. A few seconds later, I could hear him starting his car, before the tires screeched out of the parking lot.

"I have to go back," Scott declared once we were all handed towels. I wiped the back of my neck before going to start on my hair.

"No, dude, you are  _not_  going back with them," Stiles cut in, looking at our best friend.

Scott glanced at us before solemnly stating, "I made a deal with Deucalion."

"Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like a deal with the devil?" Stiles inquired, mainly looking at Deaton and me.

"Why does it matter, anyway?" Isaac asked from where he sat next to Allison.

"Because I still don't think that we can beat Jennifer without their help."

Allison glanced at the veterinarian. "He trusts you more than anyone. Tell him he's wrong."

Deaton shook his head gently. "I'm not so sure he is." At the multiple looks of disbelief, he continued, "Circumstances like this sometimes require that you align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend… or in this case,  _acquaintance_ ," I muttered under my breath, seeing where this was going. Deaton nodded in agreement.

Isaac took a glance at me before asking, "So we're gonna trust him? The guy that calls himself  _Death: Destroyer of Worlds_? We're gonna trust  _that_  guy?"

"I wouldn't trust him, no," Deaton refuted. "But you can use him to your advantage. Deucalion  _may_  be the enemy, but he could also be the bait."

There was a small  _clang_  sound and we paused in our conversation. I followed the direction of the sound, ready to attack if necessary.

Deaton led the way, and I spotted Ethan standing at the entrance, blocked by the Mountain ash. "I'm looking for Lydia," he declared.

Lydia stepped in front of me and asked, "What do you want?"

"I need your help," the Alpha said solemnly.

Stiles appeared at the doorway and demanded, "With what?"

Ethan looked at all five of us before saying, "Stopping my brother and Kali… from killing Derek."

I bit my lip, knowing where this was going. Derek had done a great job at hiding his fatigue, but I could feel his exhaustion. He had given up the majority of his powers to save his sister, and what he needed wasn't a sixteen-hour anxious wait. He needed rest – which he didn't receive.

I looked at Ethan. "Do what it takes to keep him safe," I said quietly. I looked at Lydia and added, "Please."

The strawberry blonde glanced at me and nodded before hugging me. I returned the embrace before she left with Ethan.

"I suggest you all find something to track your parents down," Deaton said, turning back to us. I felt a presence behind me and knew Isaac had joined us. "Perhaps for scents."

"I'll held back home," Stiles announced.

I turned to look at Scott before I said, "I'll head to your place. You and Isaac and Allison go to her place to find something of Chris's."

Scott nodded and pulled out his phone. "Let's stay on the line."

I nodded in agreement before looking at Stiles. "Think you can drive me to school to get my car?"

"Sure," Stiles replied before we split up.

I hooked my phone to an earbud headset before placing it into my ear. Stiles drove at a breakneck pace to the school and I slid into my car before calling Stiles and Scott.

"Driving to your place now," I announced, taking off to Scott's place. "What of your mom's would have the strongest scent?"

" _Maybe her clean scrubs?"_  Scott suggested.  _"I think her car's still there, though. You know where the spare key is."_

"I'll check it out," I said, stopping with a screech in front of the McCall residence.

" _Hey, what should I grab?"_  I heard rustling from Stiles's end and knew he had just arrived home.

" _Just grab anything,"_  Scott advised.

" _My dad's boxers?"_

" _Stiles, I'm not smelling your dad's boxers."_

I held in a snort as I opened Melissa's car, taking in her scent.

" _How about his socks?"_

There was a heavy sigh and Scott said,  _"Okay, I'll smell the socks."_

"I got her scent," I announced, scrunching my nose, trying to remember the smell.

All of a sudden, there was a click as Scott hung up his phone. I perked up as I climbed into my car and asked my brother, "What was that?"

" _I dunno,"_  Stiles shook his head.  _"Go check it out. I'll be fine."_

"You sure?"

" _Yeah."_

I heaved a heavy sigh before agreeing. "Stay safe," I wished before hanging up so I could focus on my driving.

I pushed down on the gas, almost flooring my car and I heard the engine roar in response as it accelerated to seventy miles per hour. I was going at nearly double the speed limit but thankfully, because of the weather prediction, no one was out.

The Argents' place wasn't too far, especially at the speed I was going at. I arrived just in time to see Allison, Scott, and Isaac scrambling out of the building. They quickly spotted me and Scott threw open the passenger seat while Allison and Isaac scrambled in the back.

"Drive, drive,  _drive_!" Scott yelled and I took off quickly. I glanced in the rearview mirror to see some unknown men run out of the building, but I was already driving off.

"What was that?" I asked, slowing down slightly to sixty miles. It was still fast, but a less-tense pace.

Scott ordered me to drive to the woods – to the hill that overlooked Beacon Hills – as the three filled me in on how Agent McCall and other FBI agents were in Allison's house.

"You guys okay, though?" I asked, coming to a stop in the woods.

"I didn't know what to say to him," Scott admitted. "I couldn't come up with anything, but Allison," he glanced back to look at his ex-girlfriend. "What you did – that was awesome."

Allison shared a smile before we all piled out of the car.

"I still haven't gotten anything form Stiles," Isaac announced, looking down at his phone. "You?" He turned his head to look at Scott and I.

I shook my head, as did Scott. Haven't heard from him since we hung up on each other.

"Well, we can't wait for him," Isaac glanced around, tense. "Come on." The four of us headed to the hill and I could see thunder rumbling in the distance, with the cloud obscuring most of the full moon.

I flexed my fingers in anticipation, when I felt a presence behind us.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't we, Scott?" a British-laced voice drawled. The shadows fell over us, but I could see Deucalion walking towards us with his walking stick.

"We got a little delayed," Scott responded, glancing at us before turning to the Alpha. "Where are the others?"

"Occupying themselves with other pursuits," Deucalion cryptically replied and I tensed again, knowing that one of the pursuits was Derek.

"So it's just you, Sindy, and I against her?"

Isaac and Allison were going to track down our parents. I was tagging along with Scott just in case Deucalion turned against Scott and attacked him after we took down Jennifer… Plus, I wanted to give Jennifer a piece of my mind.

The Alpha looked thoroughly pleased with my involvement and he commented, "I think you'll be surprised what a good team we make."

I pursed my lips, still not liking this place, but we had no choice. I turned back to my Beta and Allison before Scott addressed them both.

"Get Stiles," he ordered the two, but mainly Isaac, as he was the supernatural being of the two. "And then get to the root cellar, okay? We'll keep Jennifer away long enough for you to get them out of there."

Isaac grimly looked down at Scott and I. "How are you gonna do that?"

"I have a plan," Scott replied, and he glanced at me. I gave a curt nod – not really liking his plan, but we'd just have to roll with it. He had informed me of it in secret after he shared what Deaton had told us:

" _You're an Alpha Female, Sindy," Deaton had said, looking at Scott and I as we were separate from everyone else. "You draw on your pack's powers, but your pack also draws on yours."_

_I turned to look at Scott, who met my eyes._

**DEREK HALE**

I observed the bodies that were slumped on my floor, as my sister ran to inspect Lydia for injuries.

My eyes trailed to the lone figure that was standing in the center of the room and I reigned in my annoyance. "You did this for  _me_?" I scoffed.

"For  _us_ ," she corrected. She still hadn't realized that there  _was_  no  _us_. She and I were separate people – separate entities. We'd never be one. "For anyone who's ever been their victim."

My anger flared at her words and I growled, "Stop talking to me like a politician! Stop trying to convince me of your cause!"

"Fine," Jennifer huffed. "I'll convince you of someone else's: Scott. Sindy. You can save their parents."

My mind flashed to the young werewolves – one who meant everything to me while the other was like a younger brother, whether he accepted it or not. Even though he refused to be a part of my pack, because of his relation with Sindy, he was a part of it – until I lost my Alpha powers. It was Sindy's pack, now.

I gritted my teeth. "How?"

"I need a guardian," she announced, taking slow steps towards me. "And that's a role that can either be filled by the three parents I was forced to take, or by you."

"I can't help you," I refused. "I'm not even an Alpha anymore."

"All I need is for you to help me get Deucalion in the right place at the right time," she tried to convince me.

I scoffed, looking at the fallen bodies of Kali and Ethan and Aiden. "You just killed three of them on your own," I turned back to her flawless, yet disgusting face. "What do you need me for?"

"You haven't seen him at his strongest," Jennifer shook her head, almost looking scared. "And if he's got Scott and Sindy with him, I don't stand a chance unless I have you."

"Derek,  _don't_  trust her," I heard Cora say.

"You're asking me to go against my mate," I crossed my arms, standing firm and looking down at her coldly. "You're asking  _me_  to  _fight_  her."

Jennifer shook her head, her brown locks surrounding her face like a halo, but it did nothing on me. She was trying to take a page out of Sindy's book – to try to seduce me into helping her – but it wasn't working. I felt only annoyance and anger at the audacity of her trying to pit me against Sindy.

"No," she replied. "Just Deucalion. I have the eclipse in my favor, but the moon's only going to be in the earth's umbral shadow for fifteen minutes. That's the extent of my window. There's no decision to struggle with. Help me kill him, and the others live. Just help me."

Her voice held a begging tone and a thought crossed my mind. I just hoped that Sindy and Scott wouldn't hate me  _too_  much.

**SINDY STILINSKI**

We had split up shortly after Scott's order, and I found myself just outside a familiar location.

I stepped through the open door and glanced around the cold building, seeing the moonlight shine the spiral of vengeance clawed onto the side of the distillery.

"You said you had a plan," Deucalion drawled, observing his surroundings with his wolf abilities.

"On the first day of class, Jennifer sent us all a message," Scott said, and I realized what he was talking about before I had taken off. "It was the last line from Joseph Conrad's  _Heart of Darkness_. I got a message of my own to send her."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. I caught the device after he tossed it towards me and set the recording. I shot it towards the spiral, and Scott began to speak.

"You see this symbol?" he asked before I put him on camera. "It's the symbol of revenge. You talk about balance – about saving people. We know what you really want, and now you know where to find us."

I cut the video and Scott sent it to Jennifer.

"And now we wait," I said quietly.

Scott nodded in agreement. "Now we wait," he repeated.

But we didn't have to wait long.

A few minutes later, my instincts perked as I felt a dark presence nearby, radiating off energy and hatred.

The wind then blew, and I felt something else: comfort, love.

I glanced outside of the distillery and saw the silhouette striding towards us. I blinked and the figure split into two, and I knew my feeling was right.

Scott squinted, and I felt him tense, seeing my mate approach us. "What are you doing?"

"This might be hard to believe," Derek said, glancing at my childhood best friend. "But I'm actually trying to help you two." He turned his head to me and I gave a curt nod. There was a reason why he was with Jennifer, and I was going to trust him. I didn't like it, but then again, he probably didn't like me being with Deucalion right now.

"Ooh," Deucalion commented in anticipation. "Like brother against brother. Or lovers fighting against each other," he mused. "How very American this is." He pulled up his walking stick and folded it. "Are you ready, Jennifer? Hm? Did you gather your  _herbs_?" He peeled off his jacket.

"Pray to your ancient gods and your oak trees? Slit a baby's throat, perhaps? Should we show them why you needed to sacrifice nine innocent people just to face me? … Or is it twelve, now?" As he continued to talk, his voice grew distorted as he transformed into his wolf form. A shiver crawled down my spine as he exuded power… and it began.

Derek transformed quickly, letting out a roar as his eyes glowed electric blue. He went for Deucalion, but was quickly stopped.

While Derek distracted Deucalion, Jennifer went in to attack, but I watched as her mystic palm-force-thing that she used on me had absolutely no effect on the demon wolf.

Deucalion grabbed Jennifer and Derek around the neck, suspending them in the air. He tossed Jennifer aside and then flipped Derek away.

Immediately, I rushed to my mate's side while Deucalion took care of Jennifer. I placed a steady hand on my mate's back, and I could feel how weak he was. He wasn't fully healed yet.

I heard struggling and turned to see Deucalion dropping Jennifer onto her knees, making her face Scott from the ground. "Kill her," Deucalion growled to Scott. "Do it."

Scott didn't move, and Deucalion let out a roar. I winced and held my ground, willing my wolf not to surface. I wasn't going to let him come out as the Alpha on top.

It took a lot of strength and control, but I was able to maintain my human appearance. Scott, however, wasn't so lucky. His transformation was triggered and I could see the struggle in his eyes from where he was on the ground.

"Now kill her," Deucalion growled. "Your parents are dying. That storm you hear? She's burying them alive. It's her connection to the telluric currents. Kill her and it ends."

"It won't end," Jennifer said firmly. "Not with me. He'll have you kill everyone you love. It's what he does." Her eyes darted over to me and her brown eyes look at me steely. "He won't stop until everyone you love is dead."

"They're dying, Scott," Deucalion said, cutting off any more of Jennifer's words. "Your mother and the parents of your best friends. Kill her now, and it's over. Become the Alpha you're meant to be. Become a  _killer_."

"They're not dead yet," Scott declared.

"And who's going to save them? Your  _friends_?" Deucalion spat out the last word and I tensed, ready to attack anyone and  _anything_  that will get in my way.

"My pack," Scott declared, and I hoped that Stiles, Isaac, and Allison were having a better time than us.

Deucalion growled and before I could blank, he abandoned Jennifer and grabbed Scott. "Maybe you just need a little guidance," he said ominously, walking Scott over to Jennifer. I tensed, but stayed in control, knowing Scott had something up his sleeve – or actually, in his pockets.

"I forgot to tell you something," Scott announced. "Something that Gerard told me. 'Deucalion… Isn't always blind.'"

I closed my eyes as I heard Scott take out the flash bomb in his pocket. He threw it on the ground and I felt the light engulf my face. I heard Deucalion's angry roars, when something changed inside of me.

I felt my energy being drained away as the flash bombs cleared up. I glanced around, seeing the transformed wolves in their human forms.

"The eclipse," Deucalion announced. "It's started."

My eyes darted over to where Jennifer was lying on the ground, but she was gone.

"Shit," I cursed just as Scott realized something bad was about to happen. My hands tightened into fists when I saw Jennifer's Darach silhouette striding over towards us.

Before I could even react, Scott came flying towards me, and I groaned in pain at the weight that crushed me. Normally, I'd take it just fine, but I was completely powerless, now, and Scott… well… Scott was full of muscle.

I pushed him off of me as I heard  _thump_ s in the distance. Jennifer was pounding Deucalion's head against the cement floor so hard that blood was splattering everywhere.

"Jennifer!" Derek cried, as the stench of blood filled my nostrils. I didn't need supernatural smelling to sense it. It left such a horrible after-smell, coupled along with the storm outside. "He doesn't know," my mate said, snapping me out of my blood-hating.

"Know  _what_?!" she sneered, her voice as distorted as her face.

"What you really look like," Derek said. "He knows the cost of bringing Kali into his pack, but he's never seen the price you paid."

Good. Good, good, good. Distract her Derek. The lunar eclipse will last for fifteen minutes, and we needed to stall it out as long as we could.

"No," Jennifer nodded in agreement. "No, he hasn't." She bent down, hovering over Deucalion's limp body.

She placed a hand over his eyes, and the man started screaming. The sounds of shock echoed in the room, coupled with the thunder that boomed outside. A shiver crawled down my spine, hearing this man regain his sight for the first time in years.

"Turn to me," Jennifer hissed. " _ **TURN TO ME**_!"

Deucalion slowly moved his head, and his eyes focused on Jennifer's mutilated face.

This was the longest fifteen minutes of my life.

I watched as Jennifer transformed back into her usual, "beautiful" self. She moved to send the final blow to him, but then stumbled. Derek was quick and caught her, and I bit my lip to hold back the surge of jealousy that filled my veins.

I flexed my fingers and palms before fisting them again.

"What is this?" she asked breathlessly.

"Healing him made you weak, just like healing Cora did to me," Derek announced, and I realized just what his goal was. "You won't have your strength for at least a few minutes."

 _C'mon_ , I urged the moon to come out from the shadows.  _C'mon, c'mon…_

"Then you do it," Jennifer urged. "Kill him."

Derek looked down at the once-Druid and declared firmly, "No."

Not understanding what he was saying, Jennifer inquired, "What?"

"Like my mother used to say, I'm a predator. I don't have to be a killer." His words were soft, as he moved his hand to Jennifer's neck. His voice then tensed as he gripped her throat, growling out, "Let them go."

She pushed him against the crate and proceeded to slap him. Though I absolutely hated her, I was glad she actually loved Derek enough to not severely wound him. She grasped him by his shirt and wept out, "Derek…"

She moved to turn around, but Derek stood back up. I watched as they fought – Jennifer was holding back, but Derek in his human form could do nothing.

 _C'mon!_  I cried in my head. I didn't know how much more his body could take, especially in his weakened state.

And then… I felt it.

I felt my strength flow through me, and transformed quickly. I let out a roar that echoed in the distillery and charged.

My right fist was clenched so tightly it burned my knuckles, but I focused all my strength into it, before punching Jennifer. I could hear a loud  _crack_ ing sound as my fist made contact with her face.

Even I was surprised by the amount of strength I used as she went flying a good ten feet before crashing to the ground in a heap.

"Your fifteen minutes are up," I growled, flexing my sore wrist, which was healing. I think I cracked a couple of knuckles punching her, but it was worth it to see the blood dripping out from her nose and all over her pretty, fake face.

She got up quickly, cradling her face. I moved to attack her again, but she threw her hand up, releasing a border of Mountain ash around where she stood.

"You  _ **bitch**_!" she snarled at me. "Like I told you,  **Derek** , either  _you_  or the parents! Well, I guess I'll just have to take them now. In a few minutes, they'll be dead, and I won't need a lunar eclipse, even to kill a demon wolf."

I looked at Scott, who had his hands raised up, ready to break the barrier. Jennifer smirked confidently, looking at my best friend. "You've tried this before, Scott. I don't remember you having much success."

With steely determination, Scott pushed against the barrier of Mountain ash. I stood up straighter and watched as he pushed and pushed, but it kept pushing him back.

Deaton's words echoed in my head:  _"You draw on your pack's powers, but your pack also draws on yours."_

My whole body warmed with strength and power as I focused on Scott. I bent down lowly in order to brace myself.

 _Howl as loud as you can,_  my mind ordered me.

So I did.

I sucked in a deep breath before releasing it, howling to the skies. I felt walls vibrate as my voice echoed loudly, powered by the distillery and strength behind the full moon. The ground shook softly beneath my feet, and I could feel a stronger surge of power soar around me.

My howling ended, and I heard a  _thump_.

Turning to look, I saw Jennifer on the ground, with Scott inside the circle of Mountain ash, with part of it broken.

"How did you do that?" she asked in disbelief.

"I draw on my pack's powers," I said quietly. "But my pack also draws on mine. And now…" I could feel it. "Scott's an Alpha now."

"Whatever you're doing to cause this storm, make it stop," Scott looked down at Jennifer. "Or I'll kill you myself. I don't care what it does to the color of my eyes."

Deucalion stormed past Scott. "It won't change the color of mine, so allow me." He sliced at Jennifer's throat, and the woman's eyes widened in shock as she grasped her neck, which was spilling out crimson blood.

She collapsed to the ground, as a Darach once again, and I walked over to stand next to Scott. I looked down at her limp body and frowned. "Well, that was anti-climactic."

I could hear the storm subsiding outside, and knew it was over.

My eyes widened in realization. "Stiles!" I turned to look up at Scott.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. He placed it on speaker and called Stiles's number.

" _Scott?"_  Stiles voice drifted into the room from the phone, and I exhaled a heavy breath.  _"Sindy, are you there, too?"_

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Hey, are you okay?" Scott inquired, as Derek looked at Deucalion, keeping him in his place. The latter was much too weak to do anything else – especially against two Alphas and one angry Beta.

" _Yeah,"_ Stiles exhaled.  _"We're okay. We're all okay. How about you guys? You all right?"_

I went over to Derek and wrapped my arms around him. He held me gently to him, and I inhaled sharply, taking in his scent.

"We're okay," Scott declared.

" _Awesome,"_  I heard Stiles say as Derek's hand ran through my slightly tangled locks.  _"You guys think you can come get us?"_

"Yeah, of course," Scott said, and I turned my head, resting my cheek against Derek's strong chest. I nodded in agreement.

" _Great, okay,"_  Stiles replied.  _"Um… uh, bring a ladder."_  I heard chuckling on his end, and I knew all was well.

Scott hung up, and he walked over to us. We all exchanged looks, deciding Deucalion's fate. At once, all three of us nodded before turning to the British werewolf.

Derek crossed his arms as I circled an arm around his waist and Scott stood on my other side. "My mother told me you were a man of vision once," Derek announced. "We're letting you go because we hope you can be that man again."

Scott looked at the older wolf and added, "But if you're not, then having your eyesight back won't matter. Because you'll never see us coming."

My eyes glowed threateningly, before we turned our backs, walking away from the distillery – hopefully for good. It was too dark in this place. As we all piled into my car, I asked, "So who has a ladder?"

"We don't need one," Derek announced. "It's the full moon. We can just pull them out."

I nodded and drove to where the Nemeton was. We found the root cellar easily, as most of it was collapsed. I jogged out of my car with Derek and Scott right behind me and called, "Stiles?! Dad?!"

"Sindy?!" Stiles suddenly appeared and he sighed. "Oh thank God. Did you bring a ladder?"

"Just give me your hand," I said, holding out my arm. Derek and Scott did the same thing. I held onto Stiles, while Derek and Isaac connected hands, and Scott with his mother. Easily, we hoisted them out of the root cellar, and we helped Chris, my dad, and Allison out.

I hugged my father, relieved that he was safe. He awkwardly hugged me back before asking, "Uh… how long?"

Glad that he wasn't pushing me away, I responded, "Since the end of February. Derek did it to save my life." I reached out, taking my mate's hand in mine. "Dad, I'd like to reintroduce you to Derek. He's a werewolf, like I am – in fact, the one who turned me – and he's my True Mate."

"… Mate?" Dad asked, a look of confusion falling over his face.

Stiles threw an arm around our father and patted his shoulder. "I'll fill you in tonight." He gave me a wink and they walked away.

I sighed heavily and glanced around, seeing my family – my extended family – together once again. I turned to look at Derek.

He gave me a small smile, and I knew that despite this tugging in my heart, things were going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested by the readers on FF-net, the next chapter will be pure smut, because the beginning of Season 3b will have Derek missing... so... yeah. :3


	62. Parting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Anal fingering and cumshots.

**SUNDAY  
** **SEPTEMBER 16, 2011**

I bit my lower lip as I watched Derek and Cora gather the rest of their stuff. I was sitting on Derek's bed in his loft, watching the two born-werewolves shuffle about, packing no more than one duffel bag each.

When Derek finished, he glanced up, turning to look at me with his beautiful pale green eyes.

"You'll be careful, right?" I asked, fisting and playing with the sheets that were between my fingers. Derek glanced at Cora, who nodded quietly, and left, leaving us to have some privacy.

He strode over to where I was, before taking a seat next to me gracefully. I leaned into him as he reached around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

I felt his heart beating against my cheek and turned my head so my face was buried into his chest. I inhaled sharply, taking in his sandalwood scent that I would be deprived of for the next couple of weeks.

"I'm gonna miss you," I declared, rubbing my face into his chest.

Silently, Derek moved so he had a hand resting under my chin. He lifted it slowly, before I was fully looking at him. "I will, too," he said quietly.

Verdant met caramel as our eyes locked, and slowly, my eyelids fluttered shut as I leaned upwards, capturing his sweet lips with mine. They met together tightly, and our tongues slid to meet in the middle, dancing together.

I inhaled sharply and he grabbed my waist, pulling me flush against him. My entire being melted as I felt each ridge of his muscles press against my own, leaving no space in-between us. My back arched gently, and I felt Derek's hands skim across the hem of my shirt.

I hummed gently against his lips in anticipation, and Derek slowly lifted my shirt up, making sure his outer fingers skimmed against my skin, sending delicious shivers down my spine. We pulled away briefly for him to take off my shirt, and I moved so I could hold his face, standing on the tips of my toes to kiss him better.

Derek's hands splayed over my back, leaving a trail of heat every time he moved them. I exhaled deeply as I pulled back to breathe before leaning in again. My own hands wandered to the hem of his shirt, and I yanked it off of him.

Our heavy breaths filled the large room as Derek's spread over my naked lower back, before skillfully unhooking the back of my bra. My hands moved down the plains of his chest, scraping my blunt nails against his heated skin.

A low growl rumbled through his chest, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. I pressed myself into him, trying to get as close to him as I physically could. We pulled back briefly so we could breathe, our foreheads pressing together as our hot breaths mixed in the air.

"Derek…" I sighed out softly, before my eyes fluttered open. They met with his deep green ones, framed by specks of gold. "Derek," I breathed out his name, loving the way it fell from my lips.

Something in him snapped and I gasped as I was suddenly hoisted up his body. My arms instinctively went around his neck, before our lips came bruising together, my legs circling around his hips. I whimpered softly, moving my hips against him.

I pulled back, and framed his cheeks with my hands. "Let me love you…" I said gently. His eyes flickered with an emotion that I knew people rarely saw, but me: love.

I slowly untangled my legs from him and gently placed myself down on the floor. Moving him over to the bed, I unbuckled his belt, before pulling down his jeans. He sat down on the bed obediently, allowing me to do what I pleased.

Spotting the tent in the center of his boxer briefs, I felt a tingle between my legs and I hummed softly. I bent down over Derek, and gasped as he took a hardened nipple in his mouth. He scooted to the edge of the bed, wrapping his arms around my waist so he could hold me close to him.

Soft moans fell from my lips and my hands went to tangle themselves in his dark locks. " _Hng_ …" I groaned out when his hands moved to the waistband of my shorts. He groaned, filling his hands as he groped my backside sensually, before hooking his fingers into the waistband. With a simple pull, they fell to my ankles and I stepped out of it, just as Derek switched his attention to the other nipple.

The cold air hit my sensitive, thinly-covered center and I threw my head back as Derek's large hands roamed over my body leaving no surface left untouched.

His fingers hooked on the sides of my panties and with a snap of his wrist, the thin material fell to my ankles. I took a step back, which made Derek release my breast, much to his displeasure. It was quickly wiped away when I bent down, capturing his lips with mine.

He groaned softly into my mouth and I swallowed it as our tongues and teeth clashed against each other.

Then, I slowly began my descent on him, kissing down his jaw, nipping at his neck. I angled my head so I could pay attention to the location just at the crook of his neck on his left side, and bit down gently. This caused Derek to groan loudly, his chest rumbling as his hips reflexively thrust.

A small smile graced my features, before I continued my decline, leaving kisses in each dip and drop of his muscles. I crouched before him, and it felt slightly weird to have my legs spread out as I nibbled at his washboard abs, but the way his muscles clenched underneath my kisses made it all worth it.

Derek's breathing got heavier and heavier, before I ended up on my knees before him, and I looked up at him from between my lashes. I blinked softly, giving him the best seductive look I could muster, and his eyes dilated even more.

I hooked my fingers in the waistband of his boxer-briefs and I silently tugged it. Obediently, he pushed himself up, and allowed me to drag down the cotton fabric down his strong, muscular legs.

I threw his boxer-briefs to the side, before turning my attention back to him. Grasping his hardened cock, I kissed down his abs – over his happy trail – before licking the tip softly, taking the drop of liquid that had gathered there.

Derek groaned, and I looked up to see him grasp the sheets of the bed gently, looking down at me with his intense eyes. Not breaking eye contact, I took in the mushroom tip of his dick, and sucked it gently as I gripped the base firmly with my hand. I could feel his gentle pulse, moving in rhythm as my throat worked.

I decided to take more of him in, and breathed with my nose, taking him further and further down my throat. Derek's right hand shot up and tangled itself in my hair, and I traced the large, protruding vein that was on the underside of his beautiful cock.

Everything about Derek was beautiful, I couldn't help but think, as I continued to work him, my eyes never falling from his face. His eyes fell half-lidded as I took my hand away from the base of his shaft, and placed both of my hands on the insides of his strong thighs.

I pulled back briefly, to breathe, and flicked the tip of my tongue over the tip of his hardness, taking in his bittersweet liquid. I traced my tongue down his vein, and back up. Without warning, I wrapped him in my mouth again and Derek groaned, gripping my locks tightly as I took him deeply.

His head hit the back of my throat, and I relaxed, breathing in deeply through my nose. I took in his musky scent as the coarse hair at his base tickled my nose. My throat relaxed and I flattened my tongue from underneath him, and I bobbed my head in a rhythm that followed his pulse.

I released him, giving his tip a short kiss before trailing down his underside, while my right hand moved to pump him. I wrapped my mouth around the sack that rested beneath his hard erection, and Derek groaned. I felt the bed stir slightly, and glanced back at him.

He was holding himself up on one arm, but from the way he was holding him up, I knew he wasn't going to last much longer. I grinned to myself, and with my free hand, traced the inside of his thighs. It then moved until it got closer and closer to where my mouth was, until my finger rested against his perineum.

Testing my limits, I pushed it gently with my index finger, and Derek let out a low moan, before he collapsed back on the bed. I grinned to myself, satisfied that I had made him  _literally_  fall for me, before I engulfed his throbbing phallus in my mouth.

He pulsed inside my cavern, and with one hand, I fondled with his balls while the other touched whatever it could reach. He was pulsing quite powerfully as I bobbed my head, and I knew it wouldn't take him much longer.

I took in a deep breath through my nose, and deep-throated him, and Derek let out a groan of my name, before I felt him erupt down my throat. I pulled back so I wouldn't choke on his seed, and sucked gently, coaxing his orgasm out as my hand that was roaming pumped him slowly.

When he finished about a minute later, I pulled back, thoroughly satisfied at the half-lidded, naked Derek that lied before me.

"Tired, already?" I cooed gently, climbing onto the bed so I hovered over him. "Must be the old age," I teased, before giving him a wink.

He snarled playfully at me, bearing his white teeth. His eyes flashed electric blue before I felt my own wolf come out briefly. I smiled playfully at him before he suddenly had his hands at my hips. He lifted me easily, and tossed me on my back.

I inhaled sharply as Derek pressed his body over mine, his hands caressing my breasts before he leaned down and captured my lips with his. My hands went up and cradled his face while his large, warm hands skimmed up and down my sides, feeling the curves of my body.

Our lips broke away and I sucked in the desperately-needed air. My head tilted to the side, allowing him access. He kissed a trail down the side of my neck, and I inhaled sharply in anticipation. His warm, wet tongue pressed against my mating mark, and I arched my back as the tingles of pleasure ran down my spine.

My hands went to his upper back, and he growled softly when my blunt nails pressed against his skin. I smiled into his kiss and my tongue shot out to lick his closed lips. He growled softly before he pulled back briefly.

I didn't have time to miss his kisses before he bent his neck, trailing over the curve of my neck. I threw it back, making it feel much longer as he trailed his kisses down. His tongue darted out, creating an invisible trail down my neck.

A soft moan escaped from my lips and my hands went up to grab his strong arms. My blunt nails dug into him and a stronger moan echoed in the empty loft as his tongue pressed against my invisible mark, before he nipped on it gently.

A sharp whimper came from me, before Derek trailed down my body. He kissed down the valley between my breasts, while his large hands came up to squeeze my mounds sensually, rolling the pad of his thumb over my erect nipples.

My abs clenched in anticipation as he trailed lower and lower, dipping his tongue in my belly button briefly before continuing down to where I wanted him the most. I lifted myself so I rested on my elbows to look at Derek, and his deep verdant eyes met mine.

As he got to my center, he inhaled sharply, his eyes flashing a dangerous electric blue. In response to his wolf, my own threatened to come out, but I kept her at bay, purring lowly in the back of my throat instead.

The tip of his nose prodded my erect clit, and I hissed, feeling my nails elongate, but I willed them back. My eyesight became sharper, and I knew I was losing the battle against my wolf.

My spread my legs open, and I smelled my thick, musky arousal fill the air around us. My canines began to grow, and I snarled gently, bucking my hips. This time, my clit hit his top lip and I hissed in pleasure.

"Eat me, Derek," I ordered him, shifting myself so I could rest against the pillows and still see him properly.

Derek's chest rumbled as he snarled, eyes snapping up to look at me. My eyes fell on his bared teeth, seeing the elongated canines. He wasn't giving in just yet, so I was going to make him.

Roughly, my right hand shot down, grabbing at his thick locks. He snarled at me, and I responded with one of my own. I pushed his face down between my legs, spreading my knees as far as they could go. When his lips met my wet center, I moaned loudly, pushing him further into me.

The vibrations of his low growls tickled my inside, sending a delicious pleasure down my spine. His hands trailed up my legs, and I could feel his sharp claws brushing against my skin. His pushed my inner thighs open wider, and his rough tongue lapped at me, taking my leaking juices, quenching his thirst.

I tugged at his hair as I thrashed below him, throwing my head back as the pleasure filled every pore of my body. His fangs gently rubbed against wet labia, while his tongue buried itself inside of my core.

My wolf pushed against its cage, wanting to come out. Sensing my wolf's desire, Derek's also tried to force itself out. I gave into my animalistic desires, and I let out a small roar before wrapping my legs around Derek's neck.

In a swift move, I flipped us over so I was straddling the sides of his face. My sunset orange eyes met his bright blue, and his hands snaked up my legs, snaking around my legs before reaching up the sides of my body.

His eyes fluttered gently when I bucked into him, and I knew he had submitted to me.

My wolf howled in pleasure as I began to buck above him, his strong tongue standing straight for me to ride him. Every now and then, I'd grind down, and my clit would brush against the tip of his nose.

My hands snaked up my body, after brushing against the top of his at my sides, moving to cup my bouncing breasts. I moaned loudly, pinching my hard nipples as I rode my mate.

Derek's hands moved down my sides, squeezing my round butt cheeks together, before rubbing them. His nails, now blunt again, dug themselves into my flesh and I hissed gently, grinding against my mate's mouth.

His fingers hands around my backside, before I felt a lone finger moving. It brushed in the area between my cheeks, dipping down to my perineum. He gathered some moisture there, and my insides clenched in anticipation.

Gently, he wiggled a tip inside. My insides clenched and I let out a low, loud moan, erupting over my mate. He lapped all the juices I gave him eagerly, withdrawing his finger so he could squeeze my cheeks together again.

My thighs quivered as I bucked, riding out my orgasm, with Derek's tongue lapping it all up. My heart pounded in my chest, and I slumped back lazily, allowing my mate to finish cleaning me.

When his tongue slowed to a lazy drawl, I knew he was done, and stood up on my knees. His hot breathe hit my center, immediately preparing me once again, even after I'd just finished. I whimpered, before moving down.

I placed my hands on the bed beside Derek's head, trapping him beneath me as I stood on all fours over him.

My hair formed a dark curtain over us, but our bright eyes met one another easily, able to see in the darkness. I bent my arms, going down to kiss my mate.

Another soft sound of pleasure fell from my lips as I tasted myself on my mate's tongue, and his hands moved from my backside, up my sides, to cup my breasts. His large hand clasped over the sensitive mounds, his fingers rolling the nipples as our tongues danced together, rubbing against each other.

My hand ran up his strong pecs, before I moved them down, running them over his hard abs. He hissed gently when I grabbed the base of his erection, and I hovered over it. I playfully brushed the tip over my soaking center, and he groaned, squeezing my boobs tightly.

"Stop teasing, Sindy," he breathed out, eyes looking up at me.

I smiled softly, leaning down and giving him a gentle, light kiss before lowering myself down on him.

The both of us groaned at the connection as I buried him to his hilt. His coarse hairs brushed against my bottom gently, and I wiggled to get myself more comfortable.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" I breathed out, trailing kisses over the side of his face. I nibbled on his earlobe and he groaned, bucking his hips beneath me, making me gasp and bounce gently above him.

" _Uh-uh_ ," I playfully admonished him with a light grin. " _I'm_  in charge.  _I'm_  the Alpha here, got it?" I looked down at him sternly, and his eyes flickered before purring softly, moving his head to the side in submission.

I used his chest as leverage and began to move above him. He moaned below me, his hands going up to grab my wide hips. I gasped and bucked and bounced above him, going at a rhythmic pace that went with our breathing.

His hands snaked up my sides and grabbed my boobs, pushing them, holding their weight, and squeezing them. I looked down at him, and he met my bright gaze lovingly.

**DEREK HALE**

She was so beautiful, bouncing and moving above me.

The way her sweat clung to her skin, causing it to lightly shine. Her sharp intakes of breath or her moans whenever she moved, clenching around my cock tightly. The way her bright red-orange eyes glowed, her Alpha dominating  _both_  of us.

Her sweet, alabaster skin was so smooth and soft to touch, and of course, I didn't miss the opportunity to squeeze her wonderfully-sized, perky breasts.

Every time my thumb would roll her hard nipples, she moan, and her pussy would pleasurably tighten around me as she bucked twice. I did it once again, and she moaned, her hips thrusting twice while her beautiful cunt strangled my hard dick.

"Oh God, Sindy," I groaned, feeling her warm, wet center engulf and move above me pleasurably. " _Yes_ ," I hissed.

" _Mhm_ …" she hummed above me, grinding herself on me. "You like that,  _Derek_?" her voice dropped an octave, seducing me, sending tingles of pleasure down my spine. "You like me being on top of you?"

"I love you in any way I can have you," I admitted, groaning when I felt her insides flutter, as my tip pounded against the entrance of her cervix deeply.

 _Thump. Thump. Thump_ , my dick hit against her deeply, while her wet, warm walls surrounded me like a blanket.

I was throbbing painfully, so close so quickly. She, too, was close, but not as close as I was. When submitting, it gave the Alpha much more stamina to take control, while the submittee was at their mercy.

"That's it, Derek," she cooed seductively, running her tiny, beautiful fingers over my sweaty chest. "You feel it, don't you?" She leaned down, covering half of my body with her own. Her breasts pressed against me and she rubbed her hard nipples against me, grinding her  _entire_  body on me.

My hands fell to her hips, before moving to grab her round, firm butt.  _God_ , I loved holding and feeling it. I loved the way it'd ripple and bounce as I took her from behind – or better yet,  _just_  behind. She had the most beautiful ass I've ever seen – but then again,  **everything**  about her was beautiful.

From each strand of her chocolate locks, to her caramel eyes, her button nose, all the way to her little toes that she sometimes painted.

I felt her emotions tingle, undoubtedly feeling my own, and she leaned down, capturing my lips with hers. I eagerly returned her kiss, my fingers trailing to where we were connected. I gathered some moisture from there, making sure to lubricate my middle finger well, which wasn't hard considering how wet Sindy was.

As we made out, I moved my finger to her back entrance, and gently wiggled the digit inside. She moaned and I felt her rings squeeze around my digit.  _God_. She was so  **tight**. She broke apart so we could both breathe, and I greedily took in the oxygen as my hips began to buck, meeting her every time she came down on me. My cock throbbed painfully, wanting to release deep inside her, and she knew it.

She continued to grind above me, while I felt her canines trail on the side of my neck. I moved it to the side, submitting everything I had to her. I was by no means a submitting creature, but my body always – even when I was an Alpha – gave in to her.

With a sharp snarl, she bit down on the side of my neck.

I cried out loudly, erratically thrusting my hips. My finger slipped out of her ass so I could grab her hips, pounding into her as the pleasure flowed through me, my orgasm washing over me. Her wonderful moan joined my own, echoing in the empty loft as I pounded mercilessly into her. If she was still human, I would've badly bruised her – maybe even broken her hips

Her pussy clenched and throbbed around me, and I knew she was close.

I let out a roar, my wolf wanting to satisfy its mate. I pulled out of her and flipped her over. She caught herself, eyes wide in shock as she landed on the soft, large mattress. My cock throbbed, pulsing as a shot of hot cum landed on her backside. I gripped my hard dick, pumping it as another shot flew out, landing on her beautiful ass before I thrust back into her.

She cried out loudly as I pounded into her, continuing to release inside of her. Now that I was in control of the speed, I didn't waste any time in bringing her to her heights, and I gasped as I finished dumping my seed inside her, while she shrieked beneath me, squeezing my tightly as she came undone before me.

I watched as her head snapped to the side, her eyes clenching tightly shut, mouth open agape while she screamed. Her knuckles were white as she squeezed the sheets tightly, before she clawed them, tearing them to shreds. Well, that wouldn't have been the first time she's done that.

I caught her around her waist easily as she slumped, her orgasm draining most of her energy.

She whimpered softly as my touch, which easily shot straight to my dick, which was still buried inside her warmth. It was gradually hardening again, ready for another round.

"You did so wonderfully," I soothed, purring as I lifted her to kneel in front of me. I kissed the side of her head, moving her damp locks out of my way so I could feel her soft skin. "Now, let me bring you pleasure, my little squirrel," I cooed, slowly moving my hips, my cock now fully hard once again.

She moaned gently at the use of my little pet name for her, and her hand went to wrap around my wrist. Her hand was so small it couldn't even wrap around my dick fully, much less my wrist. She ran her fingers through the thick hairs that were on my arm and I leaned down, capturing her lips with mine. We both groaned into the kiss and I began to move inside her.

She cried out and I released her, letting her fall onto all fours so I could grip her properly. I held onto her wide, perfect for child-bearing, hips and began to thrust into her. She cried out, squeezing around me, and I could feel her third orgasm impending. A manly pride swelled through me, proud that I was able to bring this beautiful creature to such amazing heights.

"Cum whenever you feel like it, my mate," I purred, covering my body with her own. I snaked an arm around her so my hands slipped between her breasts, and I cupped her chin. She turned to me, kissing me messily, but I could care less. She pulled back, a trail of saliva connecting us together before leaning back in, kissing me once more.

My other hand moved down, and I traced the curves of her curvaceous bottom. Lust pulsed through my veins and I gathered up my seed that had spurted there, before circling around her entrance. She moaned in pleasure into my kiss, before I slipped a finger inside her second entrance.

Sindy thrust back into my hips, and I gripped her cheeks so I could keep kissing her through our moans. I sucked on her tongue, mimicking the way her pussy around my cock, before I slipped a second finger inside her entrance. She cried out, her cheeks flushed in pleasure, as I continued to work all three entrances of her. I wanted to imprint myself all over her – not letting her forget me for a single moment while I went away with Cora.

She began to shudder in my arms, and I knew it was done.

I gave a rough thrust, and she pulled back from my kiss, screaming loudly as her cunt tightened around me. I felt a warm burst of liquid splash all over my thighs, and continued to pound into her powerfully. Her moans hiccupped as she gasped in time with my thrusts, and I held her hips as my cock throbbed.

She cried out beneath me and I let out a roar, which echoed through the loft as I braced myself on all fours, pounding her into the bed, as her arms had given up on her. " _Oh_!  _Oh_!  _Oh_!  _Oh_!  _ **GOD**_!" she screamed, before she clawed down the sheets, tearing through them as she released once again beneath me.

Sindy's body shivered in pleasure as I continued to release inside of her. I could barely hold myself up as she shook, before her knees gave away. She collapsed onto the bed, slipping off of me. I shuddered as the cold air hit my warm cock, and I felt myself twitch, releasing another strand of cum, this time landing on her lower back.

I weakly pushed myself off onto my knees, falling back on my ankles. I lazily gripped my slowly-softening dick, and tugged at it.

Sindy let out soft, weak mewls of ecstasy every time my seed landed on her, coating her pussy, ass, and back with my scent and seed. Another sense of manly pride swelled within me, seeing my wonderful mate marked all over by me.

Her body was littered with light specks of dried blood from where I scratched her, and her back was sprinkled with my cum. I could even see it trickling out of her pussy slowly.

Once I finished releasing – it took ten pumps – I sighed heavily, my heart racing. I could see my own body flecked with dried blood from where her own claws or nails cut through me. There was also some dried blood on the side of my neck, from where she bit and marked me.

I sat there for a while, gathering my strength, before I lied down next to her.

"I liked that," she admitted through her soft pants. "I love how I can smell you all over me." She looked at me from behind her arm, and despite the vixen I knew she could be, she had reverted back into her shy little squirrel-like self. She was blushing gently, looking so innocent despite the fact that I undoubtedly defiled her just now.

I chuckled softly, and held her head, kissing her temple softly. "I did, too," I assured her. Her eyes began to flutter, and I could see that she was slowly tiring. I ran my fingers through her damp locks. "Rest, Sindy. I love you."

"I love you, too," she mumbled.

I waited until she fell asleep, before I pushed myself off the bed. I quickly got dressed, throwing on a Henley Sindy wore last night, and a pair of boxer briefs and jeans. I threw on a pair of socks and my shoes, before I gathered my duffel bag. I kissed the side of Sindy's head softly one more time.

I walked to the door of the loft, and glanced back at my beautiful, naked mate. She'd undoubtedly be uncomfortable when she woke up later, but I was sure she wanted my scent on her as long as possible.

Giving one last look at my mate, I turned back around, and closed the door, making a mental note to come back to her as soon as I possibly could.


	63. Haunted

**TUESDAY  
** **OCTOBER 9, 2011**

I squirmed in my sheets, reaching out to find the warm body I unconsciously sought. When I felt nothing my cold sheets, I sat up, my hair mussed.

I ran my hands through my hair and blinked slowly, clearing my vision. I spotted the dark figure standing by the window and I slowly climbed out of bed, wrapping the sheets around me.

Silently, my bare feet padded across the room, before I pressed my chest against his back, wrapping my arms around his waist.

Derek took in a deep breath, before exhaling, his hands going from his sides to cover my own. "You should be asleep," he said quietly.

"You should be, too," I replied simply, snuggling into his back. My forehead brushed against his triskele tattoo and I resisted the urge to have my wicked way with him.

Derek turned around, and he didn't hesitate to bury his face into the side of my neck. I moaned softly, curving my neck to expose it to him.

His head moved against my neck, his lips and teeth rubbing against the skin. He suckled the skin there, before his tongue flicked over it, and I moaned lowly again.

It was then I heard a noise: a soft growling… and it wasn't coming from either of us.

Realizing I wasn't responding, Derek pulled his head back. "Sindy?"

"I hear something…" I said quietly in order to not alert the presence. I glanced over my shoulder to see the door to the loft slightly open.  _What the hell?_

I approached it quietly.

"Sindy, Sindy, come back here," Derek ordered, but I ignored him. I walked over to the door, one hand holding the sheet to my body, the other stretching out.

I grabbed the side of the large metal frame, and pushed. A loud, screeching sound filled the room as I opened it wide, and I peered outside.

More low growls.

I angled my head to the side, and saw a pair of bloody red eyes staring right back at me. The owner of the eyes growled lowly, before pouncing on me.

I cried out in shock and pain as I was tackled to the ground by something large and white. I tried to pull out my claws, but couldn't, and I could only feel the pain as the teeth sunk into my body, ripping me apart.

I sprung up from the bed with a heavy gasp, willing the screams to settle in my chest. No matter how much I wanted to scream, I just couldn't.

Tears sprung from my eyes and a small sob filled my body. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand as a disturbance filled the air.

Before I could react, my brother sprung up from right beside me, screaming and flailing wildly.

Immediately, I sprung into action, forcing my own pain down as I restrained my brother. "Stiles!" I cried out, just as the door to his room was flung open.

"Dad!" I cried out, my tears pushing against my eyes. "I – I – I don't know what to do!"

He quickly grabbed my brother's other side and we held my brother down. All I could do was cry as my father calmed my brother down. My grip on my brother's shoulder and forearms was shaking, and my brother's screams died down.

Stiles took in deep, heavy breaths. My father pulled away from him slowly, and I sniffled, wiping away the tears that had built up.

"A – Are you two okay?" Dad looked at us wearily. "I don't think even with sharing beds is helping reduce the nightmares."

After having continuous nightmares for two and a half weeks, Stiles had suggested I sleep with him. It was something that we usually did when we were younger and couldn't sleep.

I would crawl into Stiles's bed and I would hold him (since he always insisted on being the little spoon), or he'd come into mine and sneak in my arms after removing my body pillow, since I always needed to hug something when I slept.

On occasion, we would end up just holding each other, basking in our shared warmth and comfort.

But… it had been half a week since we tried this, and I  _still_  felt horrible.

"I don't know what to do anymore," I admitted, running my hand through my tangled locks. "I – I can't walk without being afraid of my own shadow. I just – I feel so helpless…" I admitted, spilling the bottled up feelings I had gathered in the past three weeks.

I wanted Derek.

A choked sob escaped my lips as the thought passed my mind, and I pulled my knees to my chest. I wanted my mate. To bask in his warm presence and to  _stop_  these horrible nightmares.

Stiles circled his arms around me and I leaned into his touch. I felt comforted by his hold, but it wasn't the one I sought.

The hold I was looking for was warm, inviting, loving, and protective. It provided me with comfort and a sense of security.

"I'm sorry," Stiles apologized softly, kissing the side of my head. "It's all I can do."

"I know," I said, reaching up and grabbing his forearm. "I'm sorry, too." I'm sorry I couldn't stop all this. I'm sorry I can't even protect you from yourself, Stiles.

Dad gave us a contemplative look for a few seconds, before sighing heavily. He realized that only we could handle each other right now. He gave us soft kisses on top of our heads, before walking out, leaving us in the dark with the moonlight shining through the room.

Stiles and I held each other quietly, as the darkness faded into the morning dusk as the sun began to rise. The room was soon filled with a soft, yellow light, and it was then Stiles spoke up for the first time in hours.

"W – We should get ready," Stiles said quietly.

I nodded mutely in agreement, but Stiles and I still didn't release each other.

With a joined heavy sigh, Stiles and I untangled ourselves from each other, and I climbed out of bed first. My bare feet landed on the carpet, and I straightened out my hair.

Stiles stood up behind me and I turned around. I leaned up onto my toes, giving him a soft peck on the cheek, before leaving the room.

Entering my own room felt so foreign these days. As I walked to my closet, I caught a glimpse at how horrible I looked.

My hair was a mess, my eyes were red-rimmed, and there were bags under my eyes. My  _God_. I closed my eyes and tugged the closet doors opened, preparing for yet another day of school.

I quickly changed into a white lace bra and matching panties before slipping on a white top with lace at the bottom, a pair of skinny jeans, and a knitted black and white cardigan.

I finished the ensemble off with a pair of brown knee-high boots before steeping out, walking to the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair, as Stiles had the bathroom first this morning.

After finishing my morning routine, I looked into the mirror and sighed. I looked  _somewhat_  better, at least.

I hardly ever wore make-up, but I've been wearing much of it lately, to cover the bags and tear rims around my eyes, along with how pale my skin had gotten. A little concealer, foundation, and mascara did wonders.

I walked back to my room and grabbed a black bag, swinging it over my shoulders as I gathered my books, slipping them inside.

I walked into my brother's room, waiting for him to finish packing his backpack. Hearing footsteps, I glanced up to see Dad standing there with a large box.

"Hey," he greeted. "You two alright? Ready for school?"

"Yeah," Stiles answered for us, after looking down strangely at the book he held. "Yeah, we're good." He looked at me and I nodded in agreement.

Our father threw us a disbelieving look and my brother pushed, "Dad, seriously, we're fine. It was just a nightmare."  _For the twentieth time in a row_. "What's that?"

Dad, distracted, looked down at the box. "Oh, it's just files from the office."

"It says, 'Sheriff's Station – Do Not Remove,'" Stiles pointed at the yellow faded sticker.

"Well, yeah, unless you're the sheriff," Dad quipped.

"Oh," Stiles made a humming noise.

"Now get your butts to school," Dad ordered and the corner of my lips twitched before I pulled out my car keys from my bag. Dad walked away, and I turned to my brother.

"I'm gonna be heading to the loft today," I said quietly. "So… I'll drive on my own."

"That's cool," Stiles nodded softly. "Still no call back from him?"

I shook my head sadly. It had been about two weeks since I last heard from Derek. I had just heard he was dropping off Cora and going to run a couple errands first before returning to Beacon Hills.

The strange thing was, he called every day, but then, it just stopped. And that's when the nightmares got more intense.

The first week was fine. I would lie there in my bed, with my phone on and fall asleep with Derek's voice on the other line. I would have the occasional twist and turn, but it wasn't bad.

But the second Derek disappeared off the grid, they had hit me in full force – going as bad as Stiles's nightmares or Scott and Allison's hallucinations. It was absolutely horrible.

I knew the consequences that night – but… I don't know if I could keep living like this: scared of my own shadow – literally.

I trekked downstairs, grabbing an apple on the way out before sliding into my car. I started the engine, peeling out of the driveway as I willed myself to munch on the sweet fruit, even if I didn't want to eat it.

It didn't take me long to arrive at school, and I parked right next to Lydia's car. I sighed heavily, and walked off, heading to my locker so I could spend some time with the others before class started.

As I walked, I nodded, smiling faintly at the kids who greeted me, congratulating me on the latest race.

With the nightmares, I had doubled my efforts in running, and came in first in the previous meets – my latest being a 17-minute, 36-second 3-mile run.

I sighed heavily, when I noticed something moving from the corner of my eye. I glanced down, seeing my shadow, and my eyes widened.

It was an image of a large wolf, the same size as the one I've been dreaming about tearing me apart. I recognized it. Those red eyes were unforgettable.

I swallowed thickly.  _It's just a hallucination, Sindy. It's all in your head._

Regardless, I kept my head down, walking faster and faster to my locker. I could only focus on my rapid footsteps, and the low growling I could hear. It was coming. It was coming. It was coming for me.

My breathing began to grow erratic, and I suddenly couldn't breathe. It was like I –

My thoughts were immediately cut off by me slamming into someone. I grunted as I felt back onto the floor, and a loud clatter echoed.

I glanced down at my shadow, and saw it was completely normal again. I swallowed thickly before turning to see who I had run into.

A young, Asian girl was sitting on the floor, and looked at me shyly. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "I'm  _so_  sorry!"

"Th – That's okay," I said, shaking my head. "And it was all my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." I gave her the best smile I could muster and helped her gather her books before standing up straight.

She was a couple inches taller than me, and I smiled up at her, handing her the books that I had picked up. "Here. Sorry, again. I'm Sindy."

"I know who you are," she blurted, and I blinked in surprise. "I – uh, I mean… I've heard people talking, y'know? About you and your friends. And about how you run. I've also seen you a couple of times in class."

" _Ah_ ," I realized. I looked at her apologetically and said, "I'm sorry… which classes do I have with you?"

"A lot," the girl blurted. "Practically all."

"Well, now I feel exceptionally guilty," I gave her a wry smile. "What's your name?"

"I'm Kira," she replied. "I just moved here three weeks ago, that's probably why you don't know me, yet."

It was also because I've been mentally insane these past three weeks, but I wasn't going to tell her that. "Oh," I smiled at Kira. "Uh, nice to meet you. Well, I've uh… gotta get to my locker so I can meet up with my friends."

"Oh," Kira said giving me a small smile. "Right. I'll… I'll get out of your way now." She strode away quickly, and I couldn't help but shake the weird scent I got from her.

I found my locker combination and spun it quickly, grabbing my history book.

"You look like hell," Lydia's voice came from behind me.

"Gee, thanks," I replied sarcastically, slamming my locker door shut. I turned to look at her and Allison and saw the tall brunette looked rather jumpy. "Nightmare?"

"Hallucination," Allison choked out. "You?"

"Both," I gave them a sour look. Walked with them out of the school to head outside, looking for my brother and best friend. "I seriously can't tell what's up and what's down any more these days. Any more of this and I'm going to be shipped off to a mental institution."

We quickly found Scott and Stiles, who were talking under the bridge that connected two of the school's buildings, near the cement steps.

"You're seeing things, aren't you?" I heard Stiles ask.

"How'd you know?" Scott inquired.

"Because it's happening to all four of you," Lydia announced, looking at each of us. We began to walk off, and I slipped in-between Scott and Stiles, relishing in their warmth and height.

We followed Lydia into the school and she pushed the doors open, "Well, well, look who's no longer the crazy one."

"We're not crazy," Allison refuted.

"Speak for yourself," I mumbled, shooting Derek a quick text asking where he was and if he was okay.

Lydia whirled to us, her blue skirt flying. "Hallucinating? Sleep paralysis? Yeah, you guys are  _fine_."

"We did die and come back to life," Scott said. "That's gotta have some side effects, right?"

"Scott, we  _died_. We're not on drugs," I pointed out just before the bell rang.

"We keep an eye on each other, okay?" Stiles declared. We all nodded in agreement. I could use a punch or two right now, to be honest. "And Lydia, stop enjoying this so much."

My brother grabbed my hand and we walked to our first class together, with Scott following right behind us.

We entered the room to see a man standing at the board, but I brushed it off, quickly trying to find a seat. "Right there," Scott announced, pointing to three desks that were empty.

I slid into one of them, while Scott sat next to me. Stiles took the seat in front of Scott, and the bell rang.

"Good morning, everyone," the man greeted. "My name is Mr. Yukimura. I'll be taking over for your previous history teacher. My family and I moved here three weeks ago. I'm sure, by now, you all know my daughter, Kira. Or… you might not, since she's never actually mentioned anyone from school… Or brought a friend home for that matter."

I heard a heavy sigh and then a  _thump_  from the back of the room, and angled my head to look back. I blinked. It was the girl I had bumped into this morning.

"Either way," Mr. Yukimura continued, "there she is. Now, let's begin with American History at the turn of the twentieth century."

"Yo, Scotty," I called, seeing Scott still looking in the back. I waved a hand in his general direction and he jumped slightly, turning to look at me. I arched a brow. "You okay?"

Scott took a deep breath, nodding, before glancing down. He was growing tense, and I looked down at what he was staring at in horror. It was just his shadow.

Waiting for Mr. Yukimura to turn around to the blackboard, I took my pen, holding like I would a knife. I took it, and jabbed him right in the bicep with it, and Scott jumped, snapping out of his daze.

He turned to me, and I shot him a look. He threw me a thankful one before we turned to the front, trying to focus on the lecture.

When the bell rang to dismiss class, I stood up quickly and walked to the end of the row, waiting for Scott and Stiles. "I think you should hurt me in some way when I'm hallucinating."

The two boys shot me a look, glanced at each other and declared, "We're not hurting you."

"I'm serious, guys," I said as we walked out of the classroom. "I'm going out of my  _freaking_  mind, here. I can't sleep. I can barely eat. And I'm scared of my own  **shadow**. I'm supposed to be a freaking Alpha – y'know, terrifying, 'hear me roar,' I'm-the-boss? I feel like a freaking Chihuahua who has a much bigger bark than a bite. And last time I checked, my bite was pretty lethal."

"Still not hurting you, Sindy," Stiles said, going to open his locker.

"I can't deal with this," I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "And when Scott was hallucinating in class, I jabbed him with my pen. The pain worked."

"Maybe we need a little more time to get back to normal," Scott suggested.

"Yeah," Stiles mumbled. "Try not to forget we hit the reset button a supernatural beacon for supernatural creatures. There's a pretty good chance things are  _never_  going back to normal."

He still couldn't get his locker open, which was incredibly weird. He observed the lock strangely, and I looked at him. "Stiles?" I asked.

My nose twitched at a spike in power, and I turned to the source. Stiles apparently had noticed as well, because he said, "Oh, dude, your eyes."

"What about them?" Scott questioned, looking at us with bright red orbs.

"They're starting to glow," Stiles exclaimed quietly.

"You mean like right now?"

"Yes, right now. Scott, stop. Stop it!"

Scott started breathing heavily and I looked at Stiles. Scott struggled out, "I can't – I can't control it."

"All right," Stiles exclaimed, grabbing Scott's head and pulling it to his chest. "Sindy keep a look out. We need to get him some privacy. Just keep your down, come on."

I honed in on my senses, hearing to find an empty room. I found one quickly, and twisted the doorknob, thankful it wasn't locked. Stiles directed Scott into the room and I slammed it shut, locking the door.

Scott threw his jacket off and he warned for Stiles to stay away. "Get back away from me!"

"Scott, it's okay," Stiles pushed.

I stood in front of Stiles, and I felt a surge of power flow through me as I caught sight of myself in the mirror. My own eyes were glowing red as well. I balled my right hand into a fist and ordered for Stiles to stay back.

"Scott, I'm  _really_  sorry for this," I said lowly, balling it even tighter. Scott looked at me while panting heavily and nodded. I clenched my eyes shut, and let my fist fly.

I felt it make contact and then a  _crash_  as Scott was thrown a couple feet, landing on the floor and knocking into a couple of desks.

I willed my inner wolf to fade away and approached Scott slowly, making sure my brother was behind me enough so I could protect him at a moment's notice.

Scott sighed heavily and panted heavily, "You're right, Sindy. Pain makes you human."

"This isn't just in our heads," Stiles declared. "This is real. And it's starting to get bad for me, too. I'm not just having nightmares. I'm having dreams where I have to literally scream myself awake. And sometimes, I'm not even sure if I'm actually ever waking up."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know how you can tell if you're dreaming?" Stiles asked semi-blankly. "You can't read in dreams. More and more, the past few days, I've been having trouble reading. It's like I can't see the words. I can't put the letters in order."

"Dyslexic even?" I suggested, and Stiles nodded.

"Like even now?"

Stiles stood up, looking at the black board. He looked at it for a few seconds, glancing around the room, before declaring, "I can't read a thing."

I needed air.

I threw the door open, stomping out of the room. I pushed open the doors to the school and strode over to my car, climbing into it quickly. I peeled out of the parking spot, pushing down on the gas.

I drove, with only one location in mind.

Pushing down even harder on the gas, I made a turn that was sharp enough for my tires to screech. I soon arrived in my location and hopped out of the car, barely remembering to lock it behind me.

I climbed up the steps as quickly as I could, my heart pounding heavily in my chest. Grabbing the metal red door, I flung it open, and immediately, a faint, sandalwood scent mixed with musk filled my nostrils.

Taking slow, cautious steps into the room, I stood in the middle of it.

I whimpered softly, feeling my bottom lip quiver as I wrapped my arms around me, hugging me as the scent enveloped me.

"Derek," I called softly, almost inaudibly to even  _my_  own ears. "Where are you? I need you…"


	64. Control

**WEDNESDAY  
** **OCTOBER 10, 2011**

Something was incredibly wrong.

This morning, I had found myself waking up on Derek's bed beneath his sheets, relishing in his scent. When I had checked my phone, I had realized it died over the night and quickly found a charger, charging it as much as I could.

Once my phone was working, I had found out I had a bunch of mixed texts, along with fifteen missed calls from Stiles, six from Scott, eight from Isaac, two from Allison, and two from Lydia.

I remembered shooting them off a text, apologizing for making them worry, and I slowly got back texts from them, saying that they had found me in Derek's loft and left me alone, since I had seemed peaceful.

And I was.

Now, I was sitting in Finstock's class, once again jittery. This time, it was because Stiles was staring off blankly into space, but there was no masking the horror that I could feel radiate off of him.

"Stilinski!" Coach called. "Are you paying attention? Stilinski!"

I threw Scott a look of concern as we looked at my brother, who still had a dazed look in his eyes as he scribbled furiously on his notebook.

Coach held his whistle to his mouth, and blew as hard as he could. I covered my sensitive ears, and tried to focus on dulling out the sound.

It was then Stiles jumped up and Coach called, "Stilinski!"

"Uh-huh?" Stiles responded.

"I asked you a question."

"Uh, sorry, Coach, what was it?"

"It was, 'Stilinski, are you paying attention back there'?"

"Oh," my brother said. "Well, I am now."

Coach looked at my brother blankly before sighing, "Stilinski, stop reminding me why I drink… every night. Does anybody else want to try the question on the board?"

I leaned forward, placing my left hand gently on my brother's left shoulder. He jumped at my touch, but upon realizing it was just me, he took his right hand and placed it over mine.

"I'm okay," my brother said, upon seeing Scott's concerned face as well. He drew random patterns on the top of my fingers and added, "I just fell asleep for a second."

"Dude," Scott whispered, "you weren't asleep." He averted his eyes to Stiles's notebook and I angled my head to see what my brother had written so furiously.

I swallowed the lump in my throat when I saw the multiple  _WAKE UPs_  written all over the piece of paper – written so hard the paper was ripped.

The bell rang for after school and all of us sprung up to get out of here. Maybe some fresh air would help us all.

Stiles, Scott, and I quickly found a bench outside under the shadows, and I found myself flanked by the two boys as they took a seat on either side of me.

"Hey," Isaac nodded, greeting us before taking a seat across from Scott. He looked at all three of us and grimaced, "You guys look like shit."

"Thanks," I grumbled, taking a sip of my water bottle. I had been informed of what happened after I disappeared – Allison almost shooting Lydia in the face, Allison hallucinating about Kate, Dad getting impeached… Weren't our lives just going so dandy?

Isaac shot me an apologetic look. "I didn't mean it like  _that_."

"I know, I know," I brushed off. "I actually woke up without a nightmare this morning."

"You did?" Lydia asked, sitting across from Stiles while Allison sat in-between her and Isaac.

I nodded softly. "I think it has something to do with Derek's presence."

"That makes sense," Isaac agreed, nodding his head. "I mean, you guys are True Mates, right? Maybe the closer you guys are physically, the safer you feel emotionally?"

"Probably," I nodded mutely. "Let's hope when he comes back, these nightmares stop permanently." I stabbed my pencil into the wood of the table and was surprised by how deep it went. "I – I didn't mean to do that," I mumbled, taking out the pencil and placing it down on its side.

"Okay, so what happens to a person who has a near-death experience and comes out of it seeing things?" Scott asked, quickly changing the subject upon seeing my mood drop.

"And is unable to tell what's real or not?" Stiles questioned.

"And is being haunted by demonic visions of dead relatives?" Allison added.

I felt gazes on me and glanced up from the wood. Five pairs of eyes were staring at me. I took in a shaky breath and asked, "And is contemplating that this torture needs to end… one way or another?"

Stiles's eyes widened and he grabbed me. "Sindy, you can't think like that. You're so much stronger than that."

"Am I really?" I responded. "I can't even  _function_  without my boyfriend, who – need I remind you, hasn't contacted me in  **weeks**! I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't drink… Hell, I can hardly even  _breathe_  sometimes because I constantly feel like something's going to kill me! How can you say I'm strong when I can't – do –  _ **anything**_?!" I exclaimed, slamming my hand on the table.

I heard the splinters crack and Stiles, Allison, and Lydia jumped back in shock.

I was forever grateful we found a table furthest from everyone else, because Lydia and Allison quickly scrambled for their bags as Stiles pried my arm gently away from the table, revealing a now-healing gash.

Pursing my lips, I withdrew my arm, and plucked away at the splinters. "I – I'm sorry," I apologized, unable to look at any of them.

Two hands landed on my shoulders as two more extended in front of my face, offering me tissues. I took the tissues from Allison and Lydia's hands and wiped away at the wet blood.

"It's okay," Isaac spoke as Scott and Stiles rubbed my shoulders. "And Sindy, before you say anything, I think you're the strongest person I know, so give yourself some credit. And to answer your guys' questions, they're all locked up because they're insane."

I placed the bloodied tissues on the bench, covering the break with my books. The thing was old, anyway.

"Ha," Stiles gave a sarcastic laugh, his hand falling from my shoulder. "Can you at least  _try_  to be helpful,  _please_?"

"For half my childhood, I was locked in a freezer," Isaac provided. "So, being helpful is kind of a new thing for me."

"Hey, dude, are you still milking that?"

"Yeah, maybe I  _am_  still milking that."

"Hi," a voice coughed and I glanced up from my books. I saw Kira standing there nervously and she cleared her throat. "Hi, sorry. I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about, and I think I actually might know what you're talking about." We all exchanged wary looks, but looked at Kira. "There's a Tibetan word for it. It's called  _bardo_. It literally means 'in-between state.' The state between life and death."

"And what do they call you?" Lydia questioned, looking up at Kira, unimpressed.

"Kira," Scott supplied in a strange tone. We all looked at him. "She's in our history class."

"So, are you talking bardo in Tibetan Buddhism or Indian?" Lydia questioned.

"Either, I guess," Kira explained, and I was practically forced onto Scott's lap as Stiles scooted over. I ended up sitting on one of Scott's legs and one of Stiles's. "But all the stuff you guys were just saying? All that happens in bardo. There are different progressive states where you can have hallucinations. Some you see, some you just hear. And you can be visited by peaceful and wrathful deities?"

"Wrathful deities?" Isaac echoed. "And what are those?"

"Like demons," Kira supplied.

"Demons?" Stiles said, and I heard him sigh before looking at all of us. "Why not?" Sure. We have werewolves. We have Kanimas. We have hunters. We have druids. We have Darachs. We have Nemetons. Why not add in a couple demons?

"Hold on," Allison said. "If there are different progressive states, then what's the last one?"

"Death," Kira supplied nonchalantly. "You die." All of us exchanged looks – half-exasperated, half-why-am-I-not-surprised. "What's this all for, anyway?"

"Uh… just some ideas we have for a, uh… an online role-playing community we're on," Scott supplied, making us all shoot him death glares. He gave us a questioningly look. Kira obviously didn't believe us, but nodded nonetheless.

"I'll take a look at the book," Allison sighed.

I held up my car keys. "Anyone up for a trip to the vet?" I jiggled the keys in emphasis.

"We'll go with you," Stiles and Scott said at the same time.

"I'll hit the loft. Maybe Derek has something lying around," Isaac pushed himself up.

"I'll help Allison," Lydia piped in before we all got to our feet. Without another word, we all headed to the parking lot.

I tossed Isaac my keys so he could head to the library, while climbing into Stiles's jeep. Scott mounted his dirt bike, and Allison and Lydia slipped into their respective cars.

It didn't take us long to arrive at Deaton's, but because he was working, we had to wait until he was completely finished until we could ask him any questions.

"It sounds like your subconscious is trying to communicate with you," Deaton said after we filled him in.

"Well, how do I tell my subconscious to use a language that I actually know?" Stiles snipped.

Deaton turned to look at Stiles. "Do you remember what the sign language looked like? The placement and movement of the hands?"

Scott glanced at his boss. "You know sign language?"  _Of course he did. Deaton was the all-knowing druid._

"I know a little," Deaton said simply. "Let me give it a shot," he gestured to Stiles.

"Okay," Stiles nodded. "The first one went like this," he used his two pointer fingers, "then." He spun it around.

"That's  _when_ ," Deaton explained.

"Then there was this," Stiles placed his two hands side-by-side and pulled his right hand back. "Twice."

"That's  _door_."

"And this," he moved his hand from his mouth, with his thumb up, "in-between it."

"That's it?" Deaton inquired.

"Yeah," Stiles nodded.

" _When is a door not a door_?" Deaton translated for us.

"'When is a door not a door'?" Stiles echoed in disbelief.

I recognized it. "When it's ajar," I said the same time as Scott.

"You're kidding me. A riddle?" Stiles looked severely ticked off. "My subconscious wants to tell me a  _riddle_?"

"Not necessarily," Deaton corrected. "When the four of you went under the water, when you crossed from unconsciousness to a kind of super-consciousness, you essentially opened a door in your minds."

"So… what does that mean? The door's still open?" Scott looked at his boss, confused.

"Ajar," Deaton corrected.

"A door… into our minds?" Stiles deadpanned.

Deaton gave us a look. "I  _did_  tell you it was risky."

"What do we do about it?" Scott inquired.

I nodded in agreement. "Is there any way to close it?"

"Well, that's difficult to answer," Deaton answered cryptically.

Stiles frowned. "Oh, no, wait a second. I know that look. That's the 'we know exactly what's wrong with you but we have no idea how to fix it' look."

"One thing I  _do_  know is that having an opening like that in your mind… it's not good," Deaton said to us solemnly. "You each need to close that door, and you need to do it as soon as possible."

"Then that means I need Derek," I realized.

Deaton nodded. "Most likely, yes. You said sleeping in his loft kept the nightmares away?"

I nodded. "But the hallucinations appeared again after a few hours of leaving… during school."

"Perhaps your body is unconsciously seeking out your mate," Deaton informed. "As a True Mate, Sindy, it is not just a want and a desire to be with Derek. It is a  _necessity."_

I bit my lower lip, but nodded nonetheless. I gave Stiles and Scott a look, before we thanked Deaton, leaving the clinic. As we were leaving, I noticed a car pull up, before Stiles and my dad popped out.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Stiles addressed.

"I'm here, because…" Dad rubbed his hands together. "I could use some help. Actually…" he turned to look at Scott and me, "your guys' help."

I blinked in disbelief while Scott asked, "Why us?"

"Because eight years ago, almost an entire family died in a car accident," Dad informed. "One of the bodies, a young girl named Malia, was never found. There's enough evidence to have me thinking that a werewolf could have caused the accident, and then dragged her body away. If you could somehow get a lock on her scent… if you could somehow help me find her body, it might provide the missing clue."

"But what if it  _was_  a werewolf?" Stiles asked cautiously.

"Well, there's somebody out there who murdered an entire family," Dad said simply. "Someone who still needs to be caught."

**THURSDAY  
** **OCTOBER 11, 2011**

I cautiously walked into the house, with my male companions right behind me. While my father was distracting Mr. Tate, Scott, Stiles, and I were sneaking up to Malia's room in order to catch a whiff of her scent.

Stiles moved to open the door, and it squeaked. I winced at how loud the sound was, and when Stiles attempted to open it again, it squeaked  _loudly_. Why was it whenever you tried to be the quietest,  **everything**  was so loud?

Stiles threw doll after doll at us, and I tried to catch a scent, but…

"All I'm getting is some animal smell," Scott declared, and I nodded in agreement.

"What kind of animal?" Stiles inquired.

There was a low growling behind us, and Scott replied, while looking at the Rottweiler, "Dog." He approached it quietly. "Hi, puppy."

"Get rid of it," Stiles ordered.

" _Me_?" Scott asked in disbelief.

"Yes, you," Stiles snapped. "Glow your eyes at it, something. Be the Alpha."

The dog continued to snarl. "I can't," Scott whispered. "I don't have control."

"Oh my God," I sighed, before turning to look at the dog. It made eye contact with me, and barked once, but I silenced it with a low snarl, feeling my Alpha grow. It whimpered, before rushing off.

"How did you do that?" Scott whispered loudly to me.

I turned to Scott and simply replied, "I'm the Alpha." I gave him a small smirk, before trying to catch Malia's scent.

"How come you can't do something cool like that?" I heard Stiles demand from his best friend.

"I don't get special training with Derek," I could practically  _hear_  Scott roll his eyes. Well, good, because it's actually quite  _interesting_  how Derek taught  **me**  how to control my wolf.

I blushed, thinking about it, and willed my pheromones to stop flying. If Scott was any more skilled, he'd be able to pick up my change in scent.

 _God_ , I missed Derek so much.

"Look," Stiles whispered, pulling out his phone. He snapped a picture of a framed image of two little girls sitting on a picnic blanket together.

We quickly left the house and met up with my Dad outside. "Sorry," Scott apologized. "We tried as hard as we could. If it wasn't so long ago, maybe we could've done it." I gave a small nod.

"It's okay," Dad said quietly. "It was a long shot. In fact, it was a pretty terrible idea. I think I just ripped a wound open in that poor man. I never should have brought you guys here. I don't know what I was thinking. Thanks for trying, all right?" He patted Scott's shoulder before popping open the door to his car. "See you two at home," Dad said before he drove off.

"Aren't there a lot of cases that go unsolved?" Scott looked at us.

"Yeah," Stiles nodded. "I just think this is one he felt like he could've figured out right now."

"Why is it so important now?" Scott inquired.

"He wants to be able to solve one more while he's still sheriff," Stiles explained.

Scott's brows furrowed as he asked, "What do you mean 'still sheriff'?"

"Your dad… filed to impeach our dad," I supplied for Stiles.

Scott looked highly ticked off, "Can you two just… get me home?"

"Yeah…" Stiles nodded quietly. "Yeah. Sure."

Later that night, I lied in Stiles's bed next to him. "Is there anything we can do?" my brother asked helplessly.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "Right now, we can barely even help ourselves."

There was a knock on the door, before it was pushed open. Stiles and I glanced up to see Scott standing there.

"Hey, what's going on?" Stiles greeted.

"You guys and me," Scott replied. "We're going to go out and find a body." He flicked his flashlight on. "A dead body."

About fifteen minutes later, we were in the woods, with Scott leading us with a flashlight. I pulled Derek's jacket – that I had taken from his closet in the loft – closer to me, relishing in his scent and the warmth.

"You know, if my dad's right, that means there's another werewolf in town that we haven't met yet," Stiles commented.

"I know," Scott answered.

"If it turns out to be something like triplets that form into, like, a three-headed hound of hell, I'm seriously not up for that," Stiles grimaced.

"Yeah," Scott agreed. "Me either. Especially if I can't even control my own transformation either. We're just lucky Sindy can." I sighed heavily, wondering if I should call the twins. Obviously, there was no  **way**  I could help Scott with the methods Derek taught me…

We continued walking through the forest, and as we were walking, there was a sharp, high-pitched howl. Stiles jumped, grabbing onto us quickly. I almost lost my footing while Scott dropped his cell phone.

I sighed heavily while Scott looked at his best friend in irritation. "Sorry, buddy," Stiles apologized. "I hate coyotes… so much. They always sound like they're mauling some tiny, helpless little animal."

Scott jumped down to the lower level and I followed him. I heard some rustling behind me and saw Stiles ungracefully sliding down the rocks.

"It still works," Scott reported, holding up his phone.

I then realized something and activated my Alpha vision to see better. Stiles apparently realized, too, because he took the flashlight from Scott, shining it in the direction I was looking at.

"I think we found it," Stiles commented as we stepped closer and closer to the overturned vehicle.

Scott looked at it strangely. "Uh… why wouldn't they move it? Isn't it evidence?"

"Probably too much of a pain in the ass to tow out," Stiles said, looking at the wrecked car with me. "Look at this…" He bent down, shining the flashlight against the rusted metal. "You see those?" Scott ran his fingers against the marks. "Animal claws would be closer together, right? A lot closer."

"Then it  _was_  a werewolf," Scott concluded.

"Dad was right," I said quietly. I dropped to the ground and glanced inside the car. "Stiles, could you help me out here?" I called, knowing I'd be unable to reach inside with my short arms. "There's something inside and I can't reach it."

Stiles did as I asked and pulled out a doll. All of a sudden, it squeaked and went, "I'm hungry."

Stiles screamed, which caused Scott and I to jump as the scream echoed in the quiet woods. He dropped the doll and fell to the ground in shock. He swallowed thickly after composing himself and squeaked out, "I think I just had a minor heart attack."

"No shit," I sighed, holding my own furiously beating heart. Leave it to Stiles to still give me heart attacks.

I heard a growl nearby and glanced up, seeing two glowing eyes. "Please tell me you see that," Scott said.

"We see it," Stiles and I nodded.

All of a sudden, Scott took off, and before either Stiles or I could stop him, he was gone. I bit my lip. There was a werewolf in this forest and it just found us. There was no  _way_  could leave Stiles alone.

Hopefully, Scott could transform when he really needed to.

Both Stiles and I waited anxiously for about ten minutes, when a familiar scent filled my nostrils. It was then I realized Scott was back and I almost tackled him to the ground.

"Oh thank God," I exclaimed. "Don't you  _ever_  do something like that again!"

"Sorry," Scott apologized. "But… But… that wasn't a werewolf." I blinked in surprise and Scott went on to explain, "That… that was Malia. I think she's trapped in the body of a coyote."

Stiles and I exchanged looks before I sighed. "Well, we should get out of here. We can't really go after Malia without your control not fully back yet."

Scott sighed heavily, but nodded in agreement, and we trekked out of the woods back into Stiles's jeep. It was then I requested he drop me off in Derek's loft. Both of the boys looked at me, but Stiles nodded, heading downtown first.

After dropping me off, I climbed up the steps quickly, heading into the large, empty loft, sliding the door open. I walked over to the deeper end of the room, and stared at the large, plush bed before me. I collapsed on the bed, thankful it still smelled like Derek.

I turned my head to the side and thought to myself. This whole Malia issue… it might just be what Scott needs to regain his powers. Now, if he regained control, then that means he'd stop hallucinating and finally close the door that's ajar in his mind.

I bit my lower lip, before digging into my – Derek's – jacket, fishing for my phone. I quickly searched my contacts, before holding it up to my ear.

" _Hello?"_  a voice answered after a couple rings.  _"Sindy, do you_ know _how late it is?"_

"Stop complaining, Ethan," I sighed, sitting up in Derek's bed. "Now, I need yours and Aiden's help."

" _What can we do?"_

"You free tomorrow?"

* * *


	65. Transformation

**FRIDAY  
** **OCTOBER 12, 2011**

I stepped outside in the night, the cool autumn air hitting my bare legs. The heels of my boots clacked along the tar as I headed to my car.

I hit the unlock button to my car, when the air shifted around me. I paused in my walking, turning as a familiar scent filled my nostrils. My eyes darted from left to right, trying to identify the source, but I couldn't see anything.

My eyes closed and I took a deep breath, breathing in and exhaling. My orbs snapped open and everything around me grew clear. I noticed a bit too late, however, and I found myself snarling as I soared through the air, being hit by something.

I did a flip at the last minute and landed on the ground, crouching lowly, baring my teeth at my attackers.

Two pairs of electric blue eyes shone back at me, illuminating the dark night. Ethan and Aiden bared their fangs at me, and lunged towards me.

I braced myself as Ethan was faster. He tackled me down to the ground first, but Aiden put more weight into his hits. I winced as the younger twin's hard fist dug into my side and the wind was knocked out of me.

Ethan grabbed me from behind, holding me as Aiden loomed over me, setting a dark shadow above me. I watched as the younger twin's hand balled into a fist, before launching it, making contact with my face.

I let out a grunt of pain, and felt a metallic taste in my mouth. I spat out the deep crimson liquid, glaring up at Aiden.

"I thought you guys were gonna help me," I snarled.

"We are," Ethan said, gripping me tightly. "But first, Sindy, you have to give in. You're fighting against your true nature. You act like a scared piece of prey. You're a  _predator_ , Sindy.  _You_  do the hunting; you don't  _get_  hunted."

"I thought an Alpha Mate was something special," Aiden scoffed. "Deucalion was always on our asses about getting to you."

"How can you protect anyone, Sindy, when you can't even protect yourself?" Ethan asked.

My lip curled in distaste, before an immense guilt flowed through me.

They were right.

My neck cracked painfully as it suddenly snapped to the side - courtesy of Aiden punching me again.

"We're not right," he snarled. "Just a few weeks ago you'd be kicking our asses for saying that. Now because Derek's gone, you've become this weak  _dog_?"

"We can sense it, Sindy. Your power. Your strength. It's there, but first, you have to give in. Become the Alpha you're meant to be. Don't hold back."

"Or we'll go after Scott, Derek, Stiles, Lydia, Allison, and Isaac next," Aiden snarled.

At the mention of my pack's names, my head snapped up. A rage flowed through my body as my hairs stood on ends.

Everything around me got clearer, and I felt Ethan's grip loosen in shock while Aiden took a cautious step back.

"Don't you  _dare_  think about laying a  _finger_  on them. Or I'll rip your throat out. With my  **teeth**."

My canines elongated and I instinctively crouched down. And then... something foreign, yet familiar, flowed through me.

**THIRD PERSON**

Ethan and Aiden's eyes widened as the girl in front of them crouched low, getting down onto all fours.

They watches as her clawed hands began to transform, melding together to take the shape of paws.

White fur began to sprout from her body, covering her completely as it dyed her once brown hair a sharp alabaster. Her snarl grew long as a snout began to form, her sunset orange eyes glowing brightly.

And soon, a sharp, large white wolf stood in the middle of them, fur standing and long, elegant tail straight and threatening.

"Oh my God..." Ethan gasped out. Never before had he seen such a transformation.

Before any of them could react, the wolf pounced.

Aiden let out a surprised cry as he was tackled down to the dirt ground, pinned sharply by four paws.

The smell of sandalwood and wildflowers assaulted him as the wolf growled threateningly at his face.

Aiden's heart thumped heavily, his instincts telling him to get out of there as fast as he could.

But he couldn't. He was trapped.

Sindy wanted to make sure that they'd  **never**  harm her pack again. She had granted them forgiveness for their acts with Deucalion, but she still kept an eye on them. She'd never forget what they did.

"I'm - I'm sorry," Aiden choked out, practically shivering from the display of her Alpha power.

"We won't hurt them, Sindy," Ethan tried to appease the Alpha. "It was an empty threat to have to unleash your power."

Sindy could hear their heartbeats. They were erratic, but it was more out of submission and acceptance of the dominant figure - not lying.

Appeased, she gave one last earning snarl, before backing off of Aiden.

The girl began to feel slightly light-headed, and willed herself to transform back.

She relaxed her body, letting the wolf inside her go to rest. She slowly stood on her feet, and rose.

Ethan quickly took off his jacket when he saw Sindy's alabaster skin. The girl swayed on her feet, and the elder Omega caught her easily.

Her eyes looked at him dazedly before she muttered out, "This clothes thing is gonna be a problem..." She fell limp in his arms, and Ethan watched as Aiden stood up, looking at the passed out Alpha.

"Uh..." he said awkwardly, his eyes darting to the pile of clothes that escaped everyone's notice upon witnessing the transformation. "Should we dress her?"

"That would be the best idea," Ethan replied dryly, but he found great amusement in seeing his brother in such an awkward position.

"Who'd have thought Sindy is sexy but so cute?" Aiden asked, holding a thin, lace green pair of underwear, along with Sindy's puppy-patterned pink bra.

Ethan rolled his eyes and ordered, "Just put it on her."

Aiden's nose scrunched in distaste before he dressed the girl his brother held. "She's hot but smells so unattractive."

"That's because she's mated, dipshit."

"Hey!" Aiden protested, picking up Sindy's skinny jeans. "Oh God, how are we gonna put these tight jeans on her?"

Ethan sighed and adjusted the girl, and held up a leg for his brother. The two of them stumbled slightly, moving to get her leg to fit in.

"What the fuck, how does she even  **FIT**  in those damn tight things?!" Ethan called out impatiently after five minutes of struggling.

"It's the ass," Aiden pointed out. "You gotta wiggle it."

"I'm not gonna wiggle her!"

"It's the only way to shimmy these things on."

"Fucking shit."

They eventually got her jeans on, before easily slipping her shirt over her chest. Ethan grabbed her car keys from the ground, before handing Sindy off to his younger brother.

Aiden sat with Sindy in the back seat while Ethan drove to Sindy's house, where luckily, only Stiles was home.

Spotting Sindy's car from his bedroom window, Stiles rushed down the stairs, eager to meet up with his sister. He threw the door open, yelling out, "Sindy, Scott and I found–"

Stiles almost tripped over the front step of the house, seeing the formerly-Alpha twins step out of her car. His eyes widened as one of them was actually holding the unconscious form of his sister.

His hair rose in defense and he demanded, "What happened?!"

"Calm down," Ethan sighed. "She just exhausted herself. She's fine." Aiden dumped Sindy into Stiles's stretched out arms, and the boy held his sister to him protectively.

The two turned to walk away, and Stiles repeated, "What happened?"

"She'll tell you," Aiden said, before the twins took off, leaving Stiles out in the open with his unconscious sister.

Stiles looked down at his sister's form and went, "Well, looks like we've got our own stories to swap, huh?" He brought Sindy inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

"I'm so glad you're so light," Stiles sighed, bouncing Sindy softly as he adjusted his grip. He carried her up the stairs and to her room, placing her gently on her bed. He grabbed the chair from her desk and… he waited.

**SINDY STILINSKI**

Oh  _God_.

Everything hurt.

I let out a groan and winced as I moved, before my eyes drooped open slowly. I winced at the bright light, and I heard a familiar voice go, "Oh!" before the lights thankfully turned off.

"Sindy?" Stiles cautious voice asked. "You alright?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, sitting up slowly. "What happened?"

"That's what  _I_  want to know," Stiles pointed out. "Ethan and Aiden just came here with you unconscious and dropped you off at the doorstep."

Then everything hit me.

The protectiveness. The rage. The  _power_.

"Oh my God," I said out loud.

Stiles's eyes widened and he demanded, "What? What is it?"

"Let me… Let me see if I can do it," I said, standing up. Thankfully, my healing completely washed away any pain I felt, and I could only hope I didn't pass out again.

"… O… kay…?" Stiles cocked his head to the side, completely and utterly confused. He took a step back, giving me my needed room.

I took a deep breath, and tried to remember the feelings I felt when I transformed. A surge of power seeped through my pores and I remembered the feeling of wanting to protect everyone.

A snarl erupted from my throat and I crouched down low, feeling my bones shift themselves, with my hands and feet coming together to form paws. My nose and mouth transformed into a snout, and I growled lowly, looking up at my brother.

"Oh my God," Stiles said, gripping the back of my chair he was sitting on earlier. "You know," he began with a squeak. He cleared his throat and tried again, "You know. If… If we hadn't gone through the whole werewolf-Kanima-Darach-Druid-Banshee thing, I might've just passed out at the sight of my sister transforming into an  **actual wolf**  right before my eyes."

I willed myself to transform back, and slowly stood on my back legs as my bones shifted back to forming back a human skeleton. I cracked my neck and Stiles quickly turned around, noticing that I was nude. Yeah. We really needed to do something about this naked thing.

I put on my clothes and informed Stiles we were good. He turned back around and asked, "How did that happen?"

"I don't know," I replied, shaking my head. A flash of white caught my attention, and I grabbed at it with my left hand. I tugged on it, and realized it was attached to my head. My eyes widened as I held the lock of white hair in my hand.

I ran over to my vanity, taking in my appearance. I looked exactly the same as I always have, with my skin slightly tanner than usual, due to cross country season. But there was one subtle difference.

My bangs, which were once chestnut, was a silky, clean white. "Oh my God," I echoed my brother. I turned to Stiles and said, "My hair's  _white_."

"Kinda like your fur when you're a wolf," Stiles pointed out. "Looks a lot like snow."

"Oh my God. My hair's  _white_ ," I repeated like a broken record.

"We can see that," Stiles nodded. "I guess that's more important than the fact that you  **turn into a** _ **wolf**_!" he exclaimed loudly, gesturing to me. "We should call Scott."

I nodded in agreement, and my brother called our best friend, hurriedly telling him to get his ass to our house.

Five minutes later, Scott was bounding up the stairs, the front door unlocked from earlier. He burst into my room and looked at me and went, "I like your hair. Did you get it done after school?"

"No," I shook my head. "Take a look, Scott."

I transformed for him again, this time having a better control over my shift, thus not having it take long. Scott's jaw dropped to the ground and I transformed back, but this time, Stiles stood ready with my blanket to cover me.

"The clothes become an issue, though," I frowned, holding the blankets to my chest.

"How'd that happen?" Scott asked.

"I dunno," I shook my head. "I need to do some research. Anyway, what'd you guys find about Malia?"

"Oh, right!" Stiles chirped, before showing me a trail via Google maps. "We found her den and everything. We're meeting with Allison tomorrow to figure everything out."

"I'll text Isaac to meet with us, too. I'm assuming we'll be at Deaton's?"

"Why Isaac?" Stiles frowned.

"Because I'll be out of action. I need to figure out what's happening to me. With Scott unable to transform, we're down two Alphas. You'll need all the help you guys can get."

"I agree," Scott nodded. Both he and Stiles left my room, letting me get dressed, before I joined them in Stiles's room.

We chatted until it got late, and then all crashed in Stiles's room.

The next morning, I quickly snagged Lydia, Allison, and Isaac with Stiles and Scott. I ordered them to not question anything until later, and transformed for them, before reverting back after Stiles wrapped Derek's leather jacket over my wolf-shoulders.

Isaac noticeably checked me out and I rolled my eyes at him before turning around, slipping on my clothes.

"I don't know what happened," I informed the three. "I'm gonna talk to Deaton after this. Isaac, I need you to come with us to his place after school today."

"Got it," Isaac nodded, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

Lydia sighed heavily and said, "I can't believe this. First Malia is a coyote and now you're an  _actual_  wolf? I didn't sign up for this." Without waiting for a reply, she pivoted, leaving us.

Isaac shrugged before following her out, leaving Allison with my brothers and me. We walked to the history classroom, the boys informing Allison of their discovery last night.

"Here's where we found the den," Stiles informed, showing Allison the digital map. "It's right in the middle of the hiking trails."

"Well, that could narrow it down," Allison told us. "Coyotes travel in fixed trails, but I think you're right about her not going back to the den. Coyotes don't like wolves. And they're really smart. If they don't want to be heard, they actually walk on their toes."

Stiles blinked at Scott's ex-girlfriend. "Coyotes tip toe?"

Allison turned to my brother and confirmed, "They tip toe."

The bell chose at the moment to ring, and Allison looked at us all. "I have to go, but send me the pinned location," she said, heading towards the door.

"Okay," Stiles said, looking down at his phone to send a text to her. He walked over to his seat at the front of the classroom, and I moved to follow him, as my seat was right behind his, next to Scott's.

I heard Scott behind me, but he suddenly stopped when I heard a nervous voice go, "Hey. I'm Kira. But you know that. I knew you knew that. I don't know why I just told you that again." I stifled my laughter, finding that adorable. It made me remember the first time I was alone with Derek in his car. "Anyway, I have something for you."

"For me?" Scott asked as I sat down, eavesdropping.

"Yeah, about the bardo," Kira replied. "My explanation was sort of all over the place, so I did some research and I printed it out for you."

"You didn't have to do that," Scott replied modestly.

"It only took a couple of hours."

My eyes widened in shock and Scott's voice echoed his and my astonishment. "Wow. Then you  _really_  didn't have to do that."

I heard some rustling just as Mr. Yukimura walked in, holding a stack of papers. "I swear I printed it out," Kira mumbled mostly to herself.

"Kira," our history teacher called, and I turned, curious. "You forgot all the research you did for that boy you like," he announced, handing her the stack of papers.

Stiles and I coughed, disguising our laughter while Kira fell silent, mortified. To be honest, I would've been, as well. I remembered when Derek was able to hear my heart skip a beat when we were first getting to know each other, and my heart ached. I missed him so much.

Scott took his seat next to me in astonishment.  _"She likes me!"_  his face practically cried.

I gave him a small, supportive smile, my mood now down because I missed my mate so much.  _He_  was the one that was supposed to be helping me find out what my newfound powers were – not Scott, not Stiles, not Lydia, not Allison, and especially not Ethan and Aiden. I felt sad knowing that  _they_  were the ones to first witness my powers and not someone I was closer with.

The final bell rang, and Mr. Yukimura announced, "All right, everyone, let's get started. We were just talking about internment camps and prisoners of water. There's a passage in our reading that I'd like to go over in more detail. Who would like to come up and read aloud for us?"

No one raised their hand.

Mr. Yukimura's eyes landed on my brother, who was just playing with his pencil. "Mr. Stilinski, how about you?"

I grew anxious, sitting up straight in my chair. My eyes darted over to Scott worriedly. Stiles hasn't been able to read at all lately.

"Oh," my brother said nervously. "Maybe someone else could?"

He turned to look at me, and I moved to volunteer for him, but Mr. Yukimura cut me off. "Miss Stilinski, if you want to read for us, you can wait for the next passage." He turned to my brother and said, "Everyone participates in my class, Mr. Stilinski."

"Okay," Stiles muttered, reluctantly getting up from his seat. He stood at the podium and looked down at it.

"Hey, Sindy," Scott whispered. I turned my attention to him. "It says here  _bardo_  comes from this after-death experience. It says here that we need to discover ourselves inside before we can return to our current state."

I furrowed my brows, not really understanding what he meant by that. A spike in panic suddenly caused me to turn, and I looked right towards my brother, who had some difficulty breathing.

"Stiles?" I gasped out, pushing to my feet.

At my voice, Scott looked up at as well, before leaping up onto his feet. "We should take him to the nurse's office," he spared Mr. Yukimura a glance, who nodded, shocked.

I grabbed my brother on one side and Scott grabbed the other, before we hurriedly moved him to the locker room. There, Stiles broke out of our grip, and he took in deep, heavy breaths, leaning over a sink.

"Stiles, look at me, man," Scott said, looking at my brother. He turned to me and asked, "Is this a panic attack?!"

"Oh my  _God_ , calm down, Scott!" I exclaimed, my chest constricting. It was getting hard for me to breathe. Oh, God. What's wrong with my brother? Scott's panicking was making  _me_  nervous.

"It's a dream," Stiles said, leaning over the mirror, looking at his reflection. "It's a dream," he muttered. "This is just a dream."

"No, it's not," Scott refuted. "This is real. You're here. You're here with Sindy and me." Stiles continued to take deep, heavy pants and my heart clenched painfully at the sight of my brother suffering and I couldn't do a thing about it.

"Y – Your fingers," Stiles breathed out deeply. "Y – You count your fingers. You have extra fingers in dreams."

I focused to see if anyone was approaching this room while Scott went over to Stiles. "How many do I have?" Scott held up his hand in front of Stiles's is face, but my brother heaved over in pain. "Hey! Look at me! Come on, Stiles. Look at my hands and count with me."

"One, two," Stiles counted.

"Keep going."

"Three… four."

"Five," Scott assisted.

"Six… seven… eight… nine… ten."

"Ten," Scott repeated. " _Ten_."

Stiles let out a pained cry, looking at me. "What the hell is happening to me?"

I stood there, shaking my head. I had no idea. "I… I don't know," I breathed out. It hurt so much to see Stiles in pain, and I couldn't do anything about it. Alpha Female, my ass. I couldn't even help my brother with a panic attack.

"Hey," Scott called, snapping me out of my misery. "We'll figure it out. You're going to be okay," he directed the last part to Stiles. "We're  _all_  going to be okay."

"Am I?" Stiles asked, looking at Scott. "Are you? Scott, you can't transform? Sindy's hardly functioning without Derek. Allison's being haunted by her dead aunt. And I'm – I'm straight up losing my mind." He shook his head. "We can't do this. We can't – we can't help Malia. We can't help anyone."

"We can try," Scott pushed. "We can always try."

"I don't know if we can," I muttered. "I need some air," I announced, looking at the two. "Then we can regroup and have this discussion about Malia."

Scott and Stiles nodded in agreement, and I stepped out of the locker room. I found myself wandering out of the school, walking straight into the woods.

The autumn leaves crunched against my footsteps gently as I walked deeper into the forest. I breathed in the air that reminded me so much of Derek's scent – and I spotted the large tree that Derek would often push me against, kissing me and holding me close to him.

My lips quivered as I realized that I  _still_  didn't know where my mate was, nor did he know about my newly-discovered powers. Wasn't his mother also able to transform?

My thoughts were snapped to an end when I felt a sharp vibration in my pocket. I pulled out my phone and I had to tell myself to breathe properly when the words  **Incoming Call: Derek Hale**  glared at me from my screen.

The phone shook because my hand couldn't stay still and I swallowed thickly. Was it really him? Or someone that found his phone? I pressed the  _Accept Call_  button before placing it to my ear.

"H – Hello?" I asked.

" _Sindy,"_  the soft, loving voice of my mate breathed out.

I gasped sharply and my legs wobbled. I fell back against a tree and a sob escaped my lips. He was  _alive_. "D – Derek…" I gasped out, before my whole body shook as I slid down the side of the tree, sobbing. All of the pain, the waiting, the hope came falling over my shoulders, overpowered by the strongest emotion I felt right now: relief.

" _I'm okay, Sindy,"_  Derek shushed from his end, trying to reign in my sobs.  _"Peter and I just ran into a little… trouble."_  I knew that he chose the word on purpose, instead of telling me what really happened, but it was okay. He'd tell me eventually – most likely face-to-face. Derek preferred things that way.

"When are you coming back?" I asked, making myself comfortable on the ground. My hair tugged painfully at it got stuck on the bark and I moved it out of the way. "I miss you."

" _I don't know yet,"_  Derek replied, much to my disappointment.  _"I need to look for something first. It's hidden away really well. I've managed to track it down to the location, but it'll take a few weeks to actually find it."_

I frowned, not at all liking his answer. "But I need you."

" _So do I,"_  Derek replied quietly.  _"Do you think I don't feel it as well?"_  The emptiness that I had been tugging at my chest the past few weeks were slowly, but surely disappearing. My chest felt a lot lighter and for the first time in a long time, I gave a bright smile – a real smile.  _"I'll come home to you as soon as I can."_

I gnawed at my bottom lip, rapidly blinking away my tears. I loved it when he talked like that. Sure, Derek was still rough around the edges, but what Scott and Stiles didn't know was that Derek could be the sweetest, most loving man you could ever find. They'd probably scoff at what I saying right now, but it was true.

He's always there for me when I need him – if he wasn't on the run from the cops or half-dead somewhere. Or wherever the hell he was – was he still in South America? – these past few weeks. It hurt me to see that these misfortunes just always happened to Derek.

" _I love you, Sindy."_

A small smile appeared on my face and I wiped the tears from my eyes. "I love you, too."


	66. Missing You

**SATURDAY  
** **OCTOBER 28, 2011**

_The ability to transform into a wolf is a rare, powerful ability. It is awakened by something powerful, usually when the werewolf dies for a period of time, before being revived. It is awakened by the sense of loyalty and protectiveness the werewolf has over its pack. Given–_

I paused in my research as my phone rang, echoing through the empty loft. I eagerly lunged from my phone, knowing who exactly was calling me. Without fail, for the past sixteen days, Derek called me every night at ten o'clock to assure that he was fine.

"Derek?" I breathed out, holding the phone to my ear.

A low chuckle, slightly laced with the static from the phone, filled my ears and my heart thumped into my chest. I always read romances and scoffed at how girls gave their everything to be with a guy, but I've realized now that I've become one of them.

I'd give anything to be in Derek's arms again. I didn't care about anything else – all I wanted was my family and Derek – and even a family  _with_  Derek. My free hand subconsciously went to my flat stomach. In my head, I knew it was too early for me to be thinking about it, but I couldn't wait until the day that I became pregnant with a child created from both Derek and I.

It made me wonder if I was being too clingy. I was becoming one of those girls who always wanted to be with their boyfriend, even to the point that I've practically moved out of my house in favor of staying over at Derek's. Granted, I moved out once I made sure Stiles went a week without nightmares, but still.

" _You're thinking so hard that I can practically hear you,"_  Derek said from his end, making me snap back into reality.  _"What's bothering you?"_

"Am I too clingy?" I asked, placing the book on the nightstand next to the bed. I lied back on the bed on my side, curling up slightly to be more comfortable. "I mean I know I asked you to call every night and I realized just how demanding I sounded."

" _No, you're not,"_  Derek assured me calmly.  _"You want me to call to know that I'm safe – which I am. It's not a control thing. It's the Alpha inside of you. Don't you always do a quick check-up on Scott, Stiles, and the others when you see them?"_

Now that he mentioned it, I  _have_  been doing that a lot recently. It wasn't really obvious. I would just look at them subtly up and down once.

I twisted so I was on my back and looked up at the ceiling. And sighed, "I miss you."

Derek chuckled lowly again and a shiver ran down my spine. There was just something about him that made my hairs stand on edge.  _"Are you in bed?"_

"Mhm-hmm," I replied noncommittally, looking up at the glass ceiling. Derek had had it fixed before he left for South America with Cora, after Jennifer broke through it. "I was just doing some light reading until you called."

" _What are you wearing?"_

A smile flittered onto my face and I cocked my head to the side playfully. "Are you proposing phone sex, Derek?" I fiddled with the side of Derek's Henley that I was currently wearing. "If you must know, I'm just wearing one of your dark shirts and a pair of green underwear." Sadly, it wasn't lace. I didn't feel the need to wear something sexy at night – especially since my mate wasn't around. It was just plain old cotton.

A low growl erupted from the other end of the call and a shiver went down my spine in anticipation.  _"Do you_ know _what you wearing my clothes does to me?"_

My free hand went up Derek's shirt, which now smelled like me, sadly, and I cupped my right breast. I moaned softly as I fiddled with the erect nipple, "I have a good idea…" I breathed out.

" _How does it feel to have those gorgeous breasts of yours in your hands, hmm?"_  Derek inquired in a low, seductive tone. Derek was never really verbal in bed – which I didn't mind one bit. Actions spoke louder than words, after all. But when he did, it never failed to send my panties into full on drench-mode.

I arched my back gently and squeezed harder. "My hands are too small," I complained softly.

" _That's because they were made for_ me _to hold,"_  Derek replied simply.  _"They were designed to perfectly fit into the palm of_ my _hand. No one else's."_

I whimpered softly in response. I wanted his touch so badly. Scratch that, I wanted  _him_  so badly. I wanted everything he had, from his voice, his touch, to his kisses that made my toes curl, to the mind-blowing orgasms he gave me.

" _Take off the shirt,"_  Derek ordered.  _"Let me see those beautiful tits."_  My inner walls clenched at his words and a small squeak escaped from my lips. It was just so unusual to hear him say those words, but they were such a turn on.

I sat up eagerly in bed, reaching up and pulling off the fabric. I tossed it aside and shivered gently as the cool air hit my bare chest. My nipples hardened even more and I put the phone back against my ear.

" _Cold?"_  he asked slightly-teasingly.  _"You'll be hot and bothered in no time."_

"Derek…" I breathed out hands snaking down my body. I could hear Derek's breathing on the other end get heavier.

" _Put me on speaker phone and right next to you,"_  Derek advised.  _"You'll need both of your hands."_

Shakily, I did as he told and lied back down, next to the phone.

" _Do what I'd do, Sindy. My hands would trail up your body, squeezing your full breasts before I'd kiss you. Then they'd sneak down your body, to where your little panties were, drenched – just for me."_

My hands squeezed firm breasts before snaking down, skimming across my drenched crotch. I moaned softly, feeling the heat radiate from them and I fingered the waistband.

" _I'd peel them off your body and spread your legs and lips wide for me. You look so beautiful, Sindy. Pink, wet, and so ready for me."_

A breathless moan escaped my lips as my legs spread, hot against the cool air.

" _Touch yourself, Sindy. Are you wet?"_

My fingers brushed against my opening and I moaned gently. "I'm so wet," I replied. I slipped a finger inside me and my walls squeezed around them. " _Hng_ …"

" _Would I really use_ one _finger, Sindy?"_  Derek's voice was deep, husky.

"N – no," I breathed out.

Derek chuckled softly and ordered,  _"Then add more."_

My hips buckled in reflex as I slipped my middle and ring fingers inside me easily. I was so wet they  _literally_  slipped inside. My walls clenched around me tightly and I let out harsh gasps as my back arched. My free, left hand flew to my left breast and I kneed the flesh there, moaning out, "Derek…"

" _That's it,"_  Derek said quietly.  _"Imagine it's me touching you. My hands are running all over you. Don't forget to play with your swollen little clit, too, Sindy. We can't forget about that."_

I whimpered softly, as I pulled out my fingers. I let out a shuddering gasp as my wet fingers pressed against my swollen, hard little clit. "Oh God…" I breathed out, rubbing the nub. "Fuck, Derek. I – I need you so much."

" _Keep going,"_  Derek purred seductively.  _"Rub it, press it gently."_  I cried out, arching my back.  _"That's it, Sindy. I can see you, writing over my bed, splayed beautifully in the center, on display for me."_

"Derek," I gasped out, pressing against my clit harder. "Oh, God. Oh, God," I chanted, tossing my head back.

" _That's it, my little squirrel. Cum for me. Let me see you cum."_

I cried out loudly, and rubbed furiously, eyes squeezing shut as tears threatened to spill as my first orgasm in a long time fell out of me. My chest heaved heavily as I slowly rubbed myself, coaxing me slowly down from my high.

Suddenly, I felt movement and then before I could even react, I gasped as I was pinned to the bed, dominated as pale green eyes glowed down at me.

"D – Derek…" I stuttered out, seeing my mate above me.

"Sindy," he growled lowly before crashing his lips down onto mine. I moaned into his kiss, opening my mouth so his tongue could slip in easily. My hands immediately went around him, running up his clothed back before tangling my fingers into his dark locks.

Our tongues met inside my mouth and they eagerly rubbed against each other, as I pulled Derek closer to me. He was here. He was  _here_. With  _me_. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes and Derek sensed it, pulling back.

"Hey," he coaxed softly, as a stray tear leaked out. He quickly wiped it away with the pad of his warm thumb. "Hey, I'm here," he said softly.

"Is this real?" I asked, my eyes watering. "This isn't a dream, right?"

Derek pressed his forehead against mine, and looked at me deeply. "It's real, Sindy," Derek said. "I'm home. I'm home with you."

A choked sob escaped from the back of my throat and I threw myself at him, hugging him tightly, pulling him down. His entire body weight fell over me and I relished the warmth and comfort it brought me. "You're home," I sobbed into his shoulder. "You're home."

"I am," Derek cooed softly, running his hand through my mussed hair. "And I'm not leaving you again – not if I can help it." He pulled back briefly, still on top of me. He wiped my tears away. "So no more tears, Sindy. Your eyes aren't meant for crying. They're for loving."

"They're happy tears," I replied weakly. "They're happy tears because I love you."

Derek leaned down, kissing the salty tears away. He kissed my cheeks, my forehead, my nose, the corner of my lips, my chin, before capturing my lips with his.

I inhaled sharply, and Derek's scent engulfed me. My hands moved from the back of his neck to down his clothed chest. When I reached them hem of his shirt, I pulled back briefly. I looked at him with half-lidded eyes and smiled seductively. "It's a bit unfair, don't you think?"

He gave a small smirk before getting onto his knees. I lied there and watched my sexy mate reach behind him, peeling off his shirt off of him. I smiled and sat up, placing my small hands over his hard abs. I ran them up his body and he bent down, capturing my lips with his.

I purred into his kiss and he lowered me back down onto the bed. I reached down to his jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping the denim. Derek easily kicked it off and his boxers soon followed.

He kneeled above me and I licked my lips in anticipation, seeing his hardened member stand at attention, demanding  _my_  attention. "Mhm," I hummed softly. "Stand up for me, please?"

Derek's eyes flashed a dangerous blue, before he stood up. I watched as his cock bobbed gently every time he moved, before he stood before me. I scooted myself to the edge of the bed, and gently held his warm, pulsing cock in my small hand.

He hissed softly at the contact, and I felt the velvety hard flesh's pulse increase slightly, just as a dribble of white liquid rose to the top of its mushroom head.

I leaned forward, and started from the bottom. I licked the center of his balls, moving up his thick base, tracing the protruding vein that was on the bottom of his dick, up to the tip. He groaned softly as my wet tongue moved against him, and when I gathered the drop of liquid gathered at the top, my own moan joined his.

I slipped the mushroom head into my mouth, and lowered my head. His cock slipped easily into my mouth, and my tongue swirled around it, and I took him deep inside me. My nose brushed against the trimmed hairs that lied at his base, and I inhaled sharply, taking in his musky scent.

I pulled back, a trail of saliva connecting us briefly, before I took him inside me again. His tip hit the back of my throat and I moaned softly, my hands reaching up to massage his flexing butt. I lucked out in the man department – he was beautiful, sexy, caring, and  _all mine_.

"Sindy," Derek struggled out. "Shit, you feel so good." He pushed me back gently, and he slipped out of my mouth.

"What's wrong?" I asked, confused as to why he wouldn't let me finish. Did I do something wrong?

Derek shook his head. "Nothing's wrong," he told me. "I've just gone without you for so long that… when I cum, I want to be inside you again."

I blushed softly and he chuckled gently. He lifted me up easily and settled me back onto the center of the bed. He kneeled in front of me and experimentally touched me. I blushed as I realized just how wet I was and covered my face with my hands.

"Don't," Derek said, pulling my hands away from my blushing face. "Don't ever be embarrassed around me, Sindy."

"Easier said than done," I mumbled my response. That earned me a small smile, before something caught my attention. I watched as he gripped his base gently, positioning him right in front of my dripping entrance. My eyes flew up to his face and Derek looked down at me intensely.

I could feel the tip of his warm cock brush against my lips, spreading the moisture there, rubbing gently against my bare skin. I had decided to keep waxing the lips, only keeping the hair at my mound. That way, I got the best of both worlds, especially with the way Derek felt against my lips… well, my  _lower_  ones.

Before I could open my mouth to protest, Derek slid into me, and I gasped sharply, filling full for the first time in a  _very_  long time. I gripped the sheets tightly, gasping as I threw my head back from the pleasure of feeling complete not just physically, but emotionally as well.

Derek was home. Right where he belonged. With me.

"Oh,  _Derek_ ," I moaned, throwing my head back as Derek set a rhythm inside of me. " _Yes_."

"Sindy," Derek groaned, planting his hands down on either side of me. He hovered over me and he leaned down, kissing me so deeply it made my toes curl. My toes squeezed tightly as I raised my legs, accommodating him not just inside of me, but outside as well.

I cried out from beneath him, throwing my arms up. I tightened my hands into fists, feeling my nails press against my palm painfully, but I was too gone to care. The way he felt inside of me was amazing.

My body accepted him easily, tightening around him as he moved in and out of me. He pressed against me in the best places, and I could feel him so deeply inside that he pounded against the entrance of my cervix.

And one day, we'll create a little pup together.

But for now, I focused on the pleasure he gave me, and I let my legs hang in the air, bent at the knees as he pounded roughly into me. The bed below us shook like crazy, which wasn't anything new, but the light squeaking of the springs and the pounding of the headboard against the wall was a sound I deeply missed.

A drop of sweat fell from Derek's face, landing on the side of my head, and I reached up, pulling him down to me.

Our moaned entwined together and Derek shifted slightly. I let out a sharp yelp when he unexpectedly hit a deep, sensitive spot inside of me, and I pulled back to let out a long moan that hiccupped often due to his thrusting.

Derek moved from above me, and I soon found the back of my knees hooked on the crook of his elbows as he lied over me. My cries of pleasure filled the room, echoing as he hit deep parts of me that I forgotten had even existed and his heavy grunts joined my high-pitched voice.

"Oh, Derek, Derek, Derek, Derek," I chanted, feeling my breasts rub against his chest as he moved above me. "Oh, I'm gonna cum," I warned, feeling the heavy pit in my stomach as I got closer and closer to the edge.

My only response was a low growl and my eyes flew open in shock as I couldn't even find the strength to close them, as Derek sped up, tapping into his superhuman speed.

I felt my walls pulse with anticipation, and I felt Derek's hot breath against the crook of my neck. His mouth got closer and closer to my mark, and my pulse quickened in excitement. He spread his warm tongue over my mark, and I heard him bare his fangs.

He bit down, breaking my skin, and I managed to strangle out a,  _"Derek!"_  before convulsing underneath him. I gripped him tightly, my nails digging into his back, and he hissed in pain and pleasure into the crook of my neck.

He pulled his head away from my neck, not losing his rhythm as he hovered over me. I panted heavily, trying to catch my breath, and I could feel my inner Alpha struggle against her chains of restraint.

_Slap, slap, slap,_  the sound of our bodies came together every time he pushed into me. I wanted Derek so much. I wanted everything he had to give to me. With a low growl, my right hand moved, grabbing the back of his head, tangling with his locks roughly.

He growled, his eyes flashing an electric blue, but I could tell my own eyes flashed red, exerting my dominance, even from underneath him. He quickly submitted to me, and he bared his neck to me.

_What a good Beta,_  I could help but think, and pulled his head down as he kept moving above me. My tongue snaked over the mark that I had left on him months back and his thrusts faltered briefly as an uncontrollable lust overcame him. I could feel it.

I bared my teeth, which had my canines elongated at him, and he whined softly, moving his head to the side even more, giving me room. I pulled him all the way down, and dug my teeth into his skin, tearing it.

He let out a strangled cry from above me, and his thrusts became erratic inside of me. He let out a howl, and I felt him erupt inside of me.

The dominance inside of me glowed with pride, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head, teeth still buried inside Derek, just like how he pressed our crotches together, twitching inside of me as he came inside of me, filling my cervix with his seed.

My walls squeezed him tightly, milking him as I reached yet another peak and I growled softly into his neck, lightly bucking my hips as I felt him swell inside of me tying himself to me.

His knot locked inside of me and I moaned softly, pulling my teeth back. I licked over his now-healing wound and looked up at him. I could still feel him pulsing inside of me, still releasing all of his essence into me, my body accepting it all.

"Derek," I cooed softly, taking on a seductive, dark Alpha tone. "Move, my beautiful mate."

Derek's eyes glazed over as he swiveled his hips obediently. His cock inside of me pushed against my walls, and I moaned softly. "That's it," I encouraged. "You still have a lot more to give me, don't you?"

My mate's eyes glowed blue, staying this time. His wolf was completely out, now, and he growled softly, and I could see his canines behind his lips grow larger and larger. He looked at me, half-transformed and he ran his clawed hands down the sides of my body.

I raised my own hands, running my claws gently against the side of his face as I cradled it. "Come here…" I said quietly, and pulled his face down to mine. Our teeth clashed as I pressed my lips against his, and he growled softly, swiveling his hips.

He pulled out as briefly as he could with his knot inside of me, and I felt a light tug. He pushed back inside of me and I moaned softly, as he alternated between swiveling and pulling as he kissed me.

We lied there, kissing each other as we waited for his knot to subside. I found that licking Derek's cheek was actually quite fun, and I had a good little giggle from that while he discovered the wonders of nuzzling my neck.

He lied on top of me, covering my small body with his large one. Our fingers laced together and he rested his head on the pillow next to me, nibbling on my ear.

"I missed you," I said quietly, fiddling with his larger fingers.

"I did, too," Derek replied, his breath hot against my ear. "But I'm back, now. BY the way, I love what you did with your hair."

I chuckled softly and said, "Remember when I told you I had things I needed to show you?" I felt him nod. "This is one of them. I'll show you once you're… uh, well… not tied up to me."

"You can say knotted," Derek pointed out.

"That sounds weird outside of my head," I admitted truthfully. "But yeah, the hair framing my face is now white not because I had a choice. It just… happened."

Derek pulled back briefly, hovering over me. "How so?"

"I'll show you later," I promised, before reaching up, placing Derek's lips over mine. They molded against each other, and I sighed out breathlessly. I wrapped my arms around him, kissing him gently.

Derek rolled us over, and I smiled softly. I broke away from him and cuddled into his neck, inhaling deeply to take in his scent. Derek reached up, running his large hands over my naked back. He kissed the top of my head gently and I couldn't stop the wide smile on my face.

His knot loosened and he slipped out of me, before I sighed, rolling off of Derek reluctantly. I glanced at Derek and he sat up quietly, as I did as well.

"So… this is the reason for my new hair," I started awkwardly, before focusing on my shift. I felt the strength flow through me, and felt my face elongate while I transformed before my mate's eyes.

Derek's eyes widened as I morphed into my wolf form. My tongue shot out, wetting my snout before I approached him with glowing red eyes. I walked across the bed gently, careful not to get the sheets caught under my claws.

I growled gently, and his eyes flashed blue for a second before fading. He reached forward, and I leaned into his touch. He scratched the back of my ear and a rumble erupted from my chest in pleasure. I stalked closer to him before giving his cheek a short lick of affection.

He chuckled softly. "Amazing," he breathed out. "You've tapped into your literal inner wolf. You've evolved." His eyes looked at me with a deep affection and I transformed back, falling into his arms easily. He looked down at me as he held me. "You're amazing, Sindy."

I beamed brightly and leaned up, connecting our lips.


	67. Sparks

**MONDAY  
** **OCTOBER 30, 2011**

I stepped out of Stiles's jeep, heading towards Scott, who was approaching Ethan and Aiden.

"You're back in school?" Scott questioned, walking to the twins.

I glanced at my own twin and I pursed my lips, joining Scott just as Ethan replied, "No, just to talk."

"Oh," Stiles said, stopping to the right of our best friend while I stood on Scott's left. "That's kind of a change of pace for you guys. Usually, you're just hurting, maiming, and killing."

"You guys need a pack," Aiden said pointedly, looking at Scott and I. "We need an Alpha."

"Yeah,  _absolutely not_ ," Stiles replied blankly. "That's hilarious, though."

"You came to us for help – both of you," Aiden replied. "We helped."

"You beat his face into a bloody pulp," Stiles pointed out. "And my sister was  _unconscious_  when you brought her back. That's not helping. In my opinion, that's actually counter-productive."

Scott tossed me a look and I let him handle it. He seemed like he had something to say. The boy nodded before turning back to the older twins. "Why would we say yes?"

"We'd add strength," Aiden replied simply. "We'd make you both more powerful – especially Sindy. There's no reason to say no."

"I can think of one," a voice drawled just as Isaac appeared on my other side. "Like the two of you holding Derek's claws while Kali impaled Boyd. In fact, I don't know why we're not impaling them right now."

Aiden's temper got the best of him and it flared as his eyes flashed a dangerous electric blue, teeth bared. "You want to try?"

The two Betas stepped forward and I narrowed my eyes, stepping in-between them with arms crossed while Scott held back Isaac's arm. I glowered up at Aiden, displaying who was the superior one around here and he backed down, stepping back in line next to his brother.

Once both were settled, I took a step back, but didn't relax my stance. "Sorry," Scott said, not the slightest bit sorry himself. "But they don't trust you, and neither do we."

I gave the twins a look, and they stepped aside. I stepped through them, with the three boys behind me. We walked towards the school, with Isaac heading to another entrance because his locker was in a different location, and by the time we stepped through the doors, my stance was more relaxed.

I ducked as a roll of toilet paper came flying out of nowhere, but my brother wasn't so lucky.

"All right, that's my face!" he exclaimed, annoyed. He wrapped his arm around Scott and patted his chest. "Hey, dude. Good decision, buddy. Good Alpha decision." I turned to look at the boys, smiling softly to how my support.

Scott looked at me warily. "I hope so."

"No, it was good," I protested as stopped at Stiles's and my lockers first. I opened my locker, placing some of my workbooks inside before grabbing my econ book, since it was the first class I had.

To be honest, I couldn't wait to see what Stiles and Scott did last night to celebrate Mischief Night.

"What are you looking at?" Stiles inquired, making me glance up briefly.

"Me?" Scott asked, looking confused. I followed his line of sight and spotted Kira picking up some books that had fallen to the ground.

"You," Stiles replied simply. "You looking at her?" I looked at my brother with a strange look as I saw him pull out a carton of eggs. He tossed me a  _Don't tell anyone_  look. I mentally rolled my eyes. As if I'd ever rat my brother out.

"Her? Who her?" Scott was still playing dumb. God, boys are so ridiculous. It made me wonder why I kept so much company around these guys… Oh wait, they're my best friends and brothers. Right. And the other is like a son to me. Which is weird, because I'm actually younger than Isaac, but… moving on.

"Her,  _her_ ," Stiles bobbed his head in Kira's direction. "Kira. You like her?"

"No," Scott refuted. "I mean – yeah, yeah, she's okay. She's new."

"So, ask her out."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"Right now?"

 _Don't slam the locker door on your head, Sindy. Don't do it. It's not worth it,_  I mentally chanted, listening to this obvious boy-talk.

"Scott, I don't think you get it, yet," Stiles commented. "You're an Alpha. You are the  _apex predator_. Everyone wants you. You're like the hot girl that every guy wants.

_Don't slam the locker door on your head, Sindy. Don't do it. It's not worth it._

"The hot girl?"

"You are the  _hottest_  girl."

_Don't do it. It's not worth it._

"I'm the hot girl…"

"Yes, you are," Isaac agreed with a drawl.

_**SLAM!** _

A searing pain shot through me as I slammed my head against my locker.  _Ow_ , I thought quietly to myself. I walked over to Isaac and Scott, before heading to our first class of the day.

A couple hours later, I was putting away my books for French, when a slam quickly alerted me. I closed my locker to see Stiles looked at me with wide eyes. I looked at him, concerned, "What is it, Stiles?" just as Isaac, Lydia, and Allison joined us.

"William Barrow, this crazy shrapnel bomber was spotted nearby and get this – he went after kids with glowing eyes," Stiles reported. "They were operating on him when he woke up, injured or killed a doctor – not too sure about that – and escaped. Dad and Scott's dad are here, looking for Barrow."

"Barrow went after kids with  _glowing eyes_?" Isaac repeated in disbelief. He shot me a look of concern. "He said those  _exact_  words?"

"Yeah," Stiles confirmed. "And no one knows how he woke up from anesthesia. They just know that when they opened him up, they found a tumor full of live flies, which in any other circumstance would be all kinds of awesome."

"Did you say flies?" Lydia inquired, stopping abruptly.

Allison turned to look at her best friend curiously. "Lydia?"

The strawberry-blonde pursed her lips, her face growing frustrated. "All day, I have been hearing this sound. It's like… this buzzing."

"Like the sound of flies?"

" _Exactly_  like the sound of flies." Lydia's eyes fell on me, and I felt three other pairs on me.

I glanced up, knowing that I was their  _de facto_  leader. Personally, I'd leave this stuff to Derek or Scott, since Derek's had over twenty years of experience, and Scott because he needed more confidence boosts. I preferred doing things behind the scenes – like supporting the lacrosse team via a medic – unless it involved running as a competitive sport.

I jutted a thumb in Allison's direction and looked at Isaac. "Stiles, Lydia, and I are gonna look for Scott and explain the situation to him. I want you and Allison to find the twins."

"Why the twins?" Isaac frowned, handsome face scrunching up slightly as he thought of the male twins.

I turned to look at my son-like figure and replied, "Because we need all the help we can get tracking down this guy if he's really after kids with glowing eyes. Like it or not, that makes the twins his target, too."

Isaac nodded and walked off with Allison. I turned to my brother and his source of affections, sniffing the air. "This way," I announced, before we took off to find Scott.

It didn't take very long, as we saw him lurking outside of a classroom. Stiles almost crashed into somebody and I had to hold him by his bicep so he wouldn't completely run over the tiny freshman.

We jogged over to Scott and Stiles exclaimed, "Hey, dude, where the hell have you been?"

"The police are leaving," Lydia reported in a panicked state. "Why are they leaving?" Her eyes darted around, trying to find reason.

Scott's brows furrowed. "The police?"

"They must have cleared the building and grounds, which means he's not here," Stiles replied, looking at the girl that was slightly taller than me.

"Who? What are you guys–"

"He  _has_  to be here!" Lydia pointed out. "That sound – the buzzing I've been hearing? It's getting louder."

"How loud?" Stiles asked quietly.

"Almost deafening."

"Stiles, you and Lydia try to stop Dad from leaving. I'll fill Scott in," I order quickly and my brother grabbed Lydia's hand, darting down the hallway after the cops. I grabbed Scott and pulled him into a secluded area of the hallway.

As I told what Stiles had informed me, Scott's eyes got wider and wider. "We have to find him," he declared at the end of my tale.

I nodded in agreement. "If Lydia's right – which I'm sure she is – he's still here. The best way that we can track someone down is through–"

"Our sense of smell," Scott caught on to my thoughts. I gave a nod, glad that we were on the same wavelength. We hadn't been like that in a while. "I'll call my mom and see if she can get some of Barrow's old clothes." He pulled out his phone. "Hi, Mom? … Yeah, I'm fine. Hey, listen, could you come over here and give me some of William Barrow's clothes? We're gonna track him down. … Okay. Yeah, we'll be fine – promise. … Bye, love you, too." He hung up. "She'll be here in ten minutes."

I pulled out a phone, shooting a quick text to everyone else.

 **Sindy Stilinski:**  Meet us next to Scott's locker.

Minutes later, all of us except Scott were in front of the said boy's locker. He was waiting on his mom. "Scott's mom is bringing some of Barrow's old clothes here," I informed the group. I glanced at Allison and asked, "Do you think you can find something in the bestiary about Barrow?"

"I can try," Allison confirmed, nodding her head determinedly.

I gave her a small smile before turning to the three male werewolves. "We'll start from the basement once Scott comes with the clothes. The best place to hide would probably be the boiler room."

I shivered slightly, thinking about the last time I had been in there. Or more accurately, when  _Derek_  had last been in there.

"What do we do?" Stiles asked, pointing to him and Lydia.

I pursed my lips and replied, "You guys be careful. Barrow might or might not be after us, but Lydia, you're a Banshee, which might make you a target, and Stiles – you're always in our company. Association and all that jazz."

Stiles nodded quietly before he and Lydia went to go help Allison find a way out of the school.

I waited impatiently with the three boys, making sure to stand in-between Isaac and the twins. Isaac kept shooting them distrusting glances and I couldn't help the sigh of relief that fell out of me when Scott arrived, carrying a plastic bag.

"Lydia thinks that he's still here even though the cops searched the whole school," Scott said as we pushed ourselves in a secluded corner. "But they didn't have one thing–" He pulled out a hospital gown. "Our sense of smell."

I brought the fabric to my nose, memorizing the scent. I scrunched my nose in distaste at the displeasing, sour, death-like scent that filled my nostrils. I passed the fabric to the twins and I wrinkled my nose in distaste.

"Let's go," I announced, before we split into two groups: Ethan with Aiden and Scott, Isaac, and me.

We walked to the basement, heading to the boiler room. Isaac was the first to speak up. "So this is how it's gonna be now? We trust them?"

"Just because we're letting them help, doesn't mean we trust them," Scott refuted. I nodded in agreement, sparing the tall boy a look.

"Yeah, well, I don't trust them," Isaac frowned. "Or like them. In fact, I hate them and just want them to die."

Scott sighed heavily, giving me a look. "Well, if Barrow's actually here and he's got a plan, you might get what you want."

We stepped inside the boiler room, splitting up to check everything. My nose didn't catch anything, nor did my vision. It was so strange.

My head snapped up as a loud ringing echoed through the hallway Isaac, Scott, and I were walking in. Scott and Isaac also looked up at the sound and we left the basement quickly, coming up just in time to see students heading towards the exit, confused. Don't worry, we were just as confused as them.

I jogged over to where Stiles and Lydia were, after Coach stormed away from them, irritated beyond belief. He grumbled about alarms and Mischief Night and Ethan and Aiden joined us.

We moved to a slightly more isolated space, apart from all the other humans (minus Stiles), and glanced at each other.

"We didn't find anything," Aiden reported.

"Not even a scent," Scott agreed.

"It's 3:00, so school's over," Stiles informed us. "If there was a bomb, wouldn't he have set it off by now?"

"Does that mean everybody's safe?" Ethan inquired, looking at each of us.

I flexed my fingers as Lydia's replied, "I don't know. I just.. I don't know."

"We can't do anything now," I sighed. "Let's just go back home and take a break." I gave Stiles a look, knowing we'd discuss this more at home.

To be honest, I'd go talk to Derek about this, but he had his own problems right now. He was with Peter, working with his mother's claws. He said something about wanting to talk with her, so I figured I'd let him do his thing before I talked to him.

"Mr. Yukimura invited me over tonight," Scott informed us. "Something about saving his daughter from Malia. Call me if anything shows up."

"I'll come over and help out," Lydia said, looking at me. I nodded quietly.

"I'll go see if I can help Allison with anything," Isaac told us, scratching the back of his neck. "She might need help looking for whatever those flies were in Barrow."

I glanced at Ethan and Aiden and said, "Thanks for your help today."

"No problem," Ethan nodded in confirmation. "Just call us if you need anything." I gave a small nod and they walked off, heading over to their bikes.

Stiles and I headed to his jeep before piling inside, with Lydia going to her car. She was going to meet us at our house later. I gave a heavy sigh as I leaned back in my seat, buckling up, glancing at my twin brother, who was starting the engine.

"Why'd you pull the fire alarm?" I asked.

"Barrow's an electrical engineer," Stiles informed, placing his arm around my seat to back out. "He could've easily blew up the whole school, and you guys were down there. We had to think fast, and the best thing we could come up with was pulling the fire alarm."

I smiled, reaching behind me to take my brother's hand. I placed it in my lap, shifting the gear for him before placing my hands over his right one. "Thanks," I said, looking up at him.

Stiles gave me a look from the corner of his eyes as he turned out of the school. "You never have to thank me for looking out for you. I mean, I know you're stronger and faster than me, but Sindy, I  _am_  your older brother."

"By five minutes," I rolled my eyes playfully. "But I wouldn't have it any other way," I replied, before Stiles's fingers laced with mine. It had been a while since I've held my brother's hand, and I missed it.

This was just my personal opinion, but I believed that Stiles and I had an incredibly strong bond, even for twins. He and I were always in sync – except for last spring, during the whole Kanima issue. For as long as I could remember, Stiles and I never had a huge fight. Of course we had scuffles – what siblings didn't? But they were always forgiven within a few hours.

"I love you, Stiles," I declared, looking at him.

Stiles smiled softly, glancing over at me. He gripped my hand firmly in his and he said, "I love you, too, Sindy." I knew what he was thinking. It had been a while since we've exchanged that phrase.

I don't know what I did to deserve receive such a loving family, but I'm glad I have them. We held hands the rest of the drive home, and even then, Stiles and I were attached to the hip the rest of the evening.

When Lydia came over, I had gone to let her inside while Stiles continued to work on his investigation wall **s**. Yes. Walls. Plural. I was planning on getting Stiles an actual investigation board for Christmas this year – one of those clear ones where you can write on and make a couple adjustments to it.

Lydia made herself comfortable on Stiles's bed while I glanced over his shoulder, looking at what he was doing with the red string that we had gotten a couple days ago.

"What do the different colored strings mean?" Lydia asked.

"Oh, just different stages of the investigation," Stiles replied. "So, like green is solved, yellow is to-be-determined… blue's just pretty." I smiled softly. Blue was our favorite color.

"What does red mean?"

"Um, unsolved."

"You only have red on the board."

"Yes, I'm aware, thank you," Stiles replied dryly.

Lydia sighed and asked, "Did you get detention for pulling the fire alarm?"

"Yup," Stiles nodded nonchalantly. "Every day this week. It's okay, though. We were onto something."

Lydia fiddled with the string and I looked at her curiously. "Even though we couldn't find any proof of Barrow being there?" she asked.

Stiles walked over to her and knelt down before her. "Hey, Lydia. You've been right every time something like this has happened, okay? So don't start doubting yourself now."

"No scent. No bomb," she twisted the yarn around her finger. "And I got you in trouble."

"Okay, look," Stiles sighed, moving to extract the string from her hand. "Barrow was there, all right? You knew it. You felt it, okay? And look, if you wanted to, I'd go back to that school right now and search all night just to prove it."

I smiled softly from where I leaned against the wall. My brother, the charmer. He was a dork, yes, but he was lovable and always knew just what to say to make you feel better.

The smile slowly slid off my face, morphing into a slight frown as I saw my brother's face darken with realization. "Get up," he ordered as I stood up straight, sensing his anxiety. "Get up, now. We're going to the school."

We took my car to the school, since it was a lot faster. We arrived at the school in ten minutes, thanks to my speed, and even though Stiles was a bit dazed at my high-speed driving, having not experienced it that fast before, he quickly darted out of the car and ran into the school.

Lydia and I exchanged curious looks and we followed my brother. We slowed to a walk once we reached one of the chemistry classrooms. "So, what are we looking for?" Lydia inquired, just as Stiles threw open a door. "That was supposed to be locked."

"Yeah, I know," Stiles replied. "Notice anything else?"

I glanced around and then winced as I breathed in too deeply, burnt by the chemical scent. I rubbed my nose in irritation, like I always did when we had an extreme chemistry lab.

"It smells like chemicals," Lydia pointed out. She glanced at me, seeing me rub my nose before placing my hand down. "You can't catch any scent," she declared.

On instinct, I inhaled, this time slightly less so my nostrils didn't burn, and she was right. There was nothing. "You're right," I realized.

Stiles shone the flashlight on his phone, investigating the room. He bent down, low to the ground, and I spotted some dirt on the ground. "He was here," Stiles said. "Performing very minor surgery on himself." He glanced up at Lydia. "You were right."

"Then why don't I feel good about this?" Lydia inquired as I sprang to action, looking for any clues on where Barrow might be. It was very possible that he was keeping watch on other wolves.

"Probably because he was here to kill somebody," Stiles replied, looking past some chemicals.

"But who?" Good question, Lydia. Ethan and Aiden? Maybe they had killed someone close to Barrow. Isaac? But what would have Isaac done to him? Scott? He's a True Alpha. Me? I'm a True Mate. Killing me would essentially cripple Derek… and… oh  _God_. Bile raised in throat as I heard my brother speak up.

"Lydia, what are those?" I turned to see what he was pointing at and saw three numbers on the blackboard.

We approached it carefully, with Lydia informing us, "Atomic numbers."

"Is it a formula?"

"Not really," Lydia replied. "Nineteen's potassium. Fifty-three's iodine. Eighty-eight's radium. The first two make potassium iodide."

Stiles frowned, seeing Lydia write  _K_  next to nineteen. "Potassium is K?"

"From kalium, the scientific neo-Latin name," Lydia informed, writing an  _I_  next to the second number.

Lydia paused on the last number and I realized why. While chemistry wasn't my strongest point, I could at least recognize atomic symbols.

"What's radium?" Stiles asked, even though he already knew the answer as well.

"R-A," Lydia replied, writing the letters next to it.

"Kira," Stiles read on the board in realization, rushing out of the room. "We need to get to Scott. He's with Kira right now." Lydia and I ran quickly, all of us heading to my car.

We slid in and I didn't hesitate to start the engine. "Hold on tight," I advised before slamming on the gas. Stiles held onto the dashboard in shock before I screeched out of the parking lot.

I rolled down the windows, looking for Scott's scent, as I had absolutely no idea where Kira's house was. I spotted a figure crumpled on the ground in the middle of the road and frowned, slamming on the brakes, causing Lydia and Stiles to fly forward.

"Scott!" Stiles exclaimed, throwing the door open, rushing to the unconscious werewolf. "Scott? Scott!"

"Barrow!" Scott gasped, sitting up abruptly. "He took Kira!"

"We know," Stiles nodded. "He was after her the whole time."

I searched for Isaac's contact name, quickly calling the boy. "Anything?" I asked the second he picked up.

" _No, nothing. Just stuff about flies and the dead. Nothing else."_

I sighed softly in annoyance, but it wasn't directed towards Isaac. "Thanks," I mumbled before hanging up.

"We have to think of something," Scott said hurriedly. "He's going to kill her." His eyes darted from Stiles to Lydia, to me, then back around us again.

"I knew he was there," Lydia said. "How did I know that?"

"Because you heard the flies, right?" Stiles questioned, and I realized the answer could be in Lydia.

"What do you hear now?" Scott demanded, as all three of us exchanged looks before focusing on the Banshee. C'mon, Lydia. She might not have confidence, but she was our only hope right now.'

"Nothing," Lydia reported, sad. "I feel like I can do this. But I don't know what to do. It's like it's on the tip of my tongue, and I don't know how to trigger it!" The frustration grew onto her eyes, and I swear if she was a werewolf, her eyes would've flashed golden. She walked a few feet away from us and declared, "I just – I swear to God, it literally makes me want to scream."

"Okay," Stiles nodded. "Then scream. Lydia,  _scream_."

I watched as Lydia inhale sharply before releasing an ear-piercing screech that rang through my ears. Immediately, pain soared through me and I worked to block out the ringing sound.

She sighed heavily and I shook my head to clear the ringing in my ears. "It's not flies," she declared, realizing something, looking above us. She turned to us, and Stiles jumped in shock. "It's electricity."

"Wait a second," Stiles's caramel brown eyes widened in shock. "Barrow was an electrical engineer. He worked at a power substation."

"What substation?" Scott asked. Stiles looked at me and Stiles, Lydia, and I scrambled to my car while Scott mounted his bike.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up at the substation, and I watched as Stiles bent down and pulled out a baseball bat form underneath the chair. When the hell did he put that there.

He opened the door and looked at Lydia, ordering, "Okay. Wait here, all right. Just wait for the cops to come."

"Me? Wait, why?" the Banshee looked out the open window curiously.

Stiles held up the aluminum bat. "Well, I only got one bat."

"We've gotta get a move on, Stiles," I said, taking Stiles's hand in mine and running after Scott. I released my brother once I was there and heard Kira let out a cry.

I ran into a large, open door-way, to see Barrow approaching Kira, while Scott screamed his protests. Barrow was holding a cut wire, and I watched as he got closer and closer to Kira.

I grabbed Stiles, who appeared beside me, and covered my body with his as best as I could as a large, spark explosion rang out. Even with my eyes closed, I could see feel the flashes around us.

When it subsided, I released Stiles, moving to take a look at what had happened. I glanced up just in time to see Kira standing in the middle of the mess, Barrow barbecued, and her absorbing all of the electricity around us.

I sighed heavily, running hand hands through my dual-colored hair. I couldn't help the next question that fell out of me, because I was confused as hell. "What the actual  _fuck_?"


	68. Hallow's Eve

**TUESDAY  
** **OCTOBER 31, 2011**

I smiled at the image in the mirror, fixing up my ears. I gave a small, satisfied nod at my reflection before skipping downstairs just as I heard the engine to Derek's cruiser.

I skipped down the steps, closing the front door behind me just as Derek was pulling into the driveway. I popped open the door and Derek looked at me with raised brows. "A werewolf, really?" I could tell he was stuck in-between exasperation and amusement.

I reached up to my fake ears, rubbing the soft fur there. "Smart, isn't it?" I grinned at him.

Derek rolled his eyes and backed out of my driveway, heading off into the distance.

We were driving for a little while, before I asked, "Where are we going?" I had chosen to ditch school today in favor of spending time with Derek. Now that he was back again, I wasn't going to let him go any time soon – not if I can help it.

I reached over the console, taking Derek's right hand in mine. His large hand wrapped around mine and I thumbed his palm while he stroked the back of mine.

"Just the woods."

I could smell the food in the trunk, so I knew he had planned a small, private picnic for us to enjoy. "So you can hide the body?"

"So no one can find it," Derek replied in confirmation. My mouth twitched in amusement before I let out a small laugh. I was glad he wasn't the stiff sourwolf he was when I had first met him. He was a lot warmer now, and I suspected by the time our pups came around, he'd be sweetwolf.

I voiced my thoughts to him and only received an eye roll.

On second thought, I liked the old Derek who was mean to everyone, but nice and protective of me.

Regardless, I leaned over, giving Derek's scruffy cheek a peck. I nuzzled into his side the best as I could, content with feeling his body up against mine.

"Were you able to talk with your mother?" I asked, looking at Derek. He spared me a glance before giving a nod. He didn't elaborate, and I figured it was just something personal. If it had any importance to Kira, he would've told me.

Derek pulled up to the edge of the woods and parked the car in a secluded area. I reluctantly released my hold on my mate before leaving the car, while Derek went to the trunk. He popped it open and grabbed a small picnic basket, before he took my hand again.

I walked with a small skip to my steps. I loved spending time in the woods, probably because of my wolf nature, and I especially loved spending time with Derek in the woods.

He led us deep into the woods, isolating us from the rest of the world. I held onto his free arm, tangling his fingers with mine as we walked together, the autumn leaves crunching underneath our feet.

He found us a secluded area and Derek pulled out a blanket, spreading it onto the ground. We kicked off our shoes and socks, before climbing on it, and Derek pulled out a plate of finger sandwiches and some juice (for me) and water (for him).

We finished our lunch at a moderate pace – not too slow and not too fast. We enjoyed our time. Once we were done, we put our plates and empty bottles back into the basket, before I leaned in, capturing his lips with mine.

Our kiss grew more and more intense as I pushed my body against his, molding our bodies to become one. I rested my hand on his chest, and I could feel his heartbeat, moving rough and erratic, just like his breathing was becoming.

My fingers fiddled with the hem of his shirt, before I pulled it upwards slowly, making sure to rake my nails against his toned abs and chest. His muscles clenched under my gentle touch, and we broke our kiss briefly so I could lift his shirt off.

I trailed kisses down his scruffy jawline, enjoying the way his rough beard felt against my soft skin. His breathing grew even more ragged as I felt along his neck, licking his throbbing pulse. I nibbled softly there before trailing down.

His body jerked underneath mine when I pressed my tongue flat on his mating mark, and he moaned lowly, arching his back and presenting his neck to me. Oh, how the tables have turned and he was now  _my_  Beta.

I pushed him down gently so he fell back against the soft blanket. He reclined easily, looking up at me with half-lidded eyes. I gave him a short, sensual kiss on his lips before resuming my path down south.

The smooth planes of his chest rose and fell as I kissed down his body gently. I made sure to lick each nook and cranny, leaving no part of him unscented. Any creature with a sense of smell that would go near him would be able to tell that he was  _mine_.

I kissed his belly button before reaching for his jeans. I popped open the button easily, massaging the growing bump that was gathering at the apex of his legs. He moaned softly under my touch and I felt a sense of womanly pride surge through me as I lowered the zipper, allowing the tent to grow even higher and higher as the restraints were being pulled back.

I tugged down his jeans and tapped the sharp V of his hips. He obeyed easily, lifting his hips and I slid the jeans off of him. I leaned down, kissing along the waistband of his boxer briefs and he let out soft groans.

I laughed softly, making sure my breath hit his erection, and he fisted the blanket. I bit my bottom lip in anticipation and looked up at him through my lashes. I fluttered them gently before I gave him a sultry smile, and judging from his pupils dilating, I correctly gave him a sexy look.

Reaching for the waistband, I pulled down the cotton fabric that separated me from him easily, and he obediently lifted his hips. I smiled inwardly. While Derek was dominant by nature, he was good at submitting – well, to me at least.

His erection sprung up and it never ceased to surprise me, with how wide and long it was. You'd think by now I'd be used to it, but looking at the weeping mushroom top, I wasn't, as a surge of arousal filled me.

I grabbed the warm, throbbing flesh gently, my fingers once again unable to wrap around it fully. Derek didn't mind, though, as he threw his head back, moaning lowly. A shiver of desire ran down my spine and I gave it a few experimental tugs before leaning down.

I placed my tongue at the base of it and licked up in a long, slow motion, making sure to leave no part of it untouched. He groaned softly as I held him in one hand while I closed my eyes, taking in the taste that was Derek.

My lips wrapped around the tip, and his bittersweet taste landed on my tongue. I hummed softly in pleasure and I could feel his muscles clench in anticipation as I bobbed my head up and down him.

He pulsed inside my mouth and I moved quickly. He let out a particularly loud and long moan as I suddenly pushed him deep inside me, taking what I could. He hit the back of my throat and I remembered to relax and breathe through my nose.

"Fuck, Sindy," Derek groaned, and I felt his hips buck. I held them back, continuing to move faster and faster. "Sindy, I'm gonna – I'm gonna cum," he warned.

That didn't deter my speed as I continued to move, bobbing my head up and down. I boldly decided to look up at him, taking in his expression. To my astonishment, he was looking at me with feral verdant eyes. I kept eye contact with him while my right hand moved down between us, cupping his balls.

He groaned, gritting his teeth, but stubbornly kept eye contact with me. My eyes fluttered with pride as I took him deep inside, and he throbbed inside me – much faster than ever before.

"Fuck!" he cursed, his hips losing his struggle to keep control. He bucked them, and I allowed him to do so, massaging and squeezing his balls as he drove into my mouth. "Sindy, Sindy, fuck!" he cried out, before breaking eye contact with me.

He threw his head back as the most amazing sight before me unveiled itself.

Derek arched his back, throwing his head back against the blanket. His spine curved into a beautiful upside-down U-shape as his cock hit the back of my throat. I pulled back briefly so his seed would spurt into my mouth and not choke me.

I gently sucked him, gently squeezing his sack as he emptied himself inside of me. Spurt after spurt followed and I pulled back briefly. I watched as his cock twitched as it hit the cold air and I brought my free hand up.

Wrapping my hand around the slick shaft, I gripped it from the top before lowering my hand down. A shot of spunk came flying out and I moved to catch it with my mouth. Most of it went inside, but a little bit of it got on my chin.

I did it again, and two consecutive spurts shot out, the first one hitting my cheek while the other hit my chin.

Derek slumped to the ground as I continued to pump him, and he slowly deflated in my hands.

"Wh – Where'd you learn to do that?" Derek breathed out from where he lied.

I smiled at him, taking my index finger and wiping away his cum. I popped my finger into my mouth, and he groaned softly. "A girl gets lonely when her mate is MIA for a month."

"You've been watching porn," Derek realized, throwing his arm over his eyes to block out the sun.

I arched a brow at him. "What makes you think I did that and not be with someone else?"

Derek chuckled softly, throwing his arm out of his eyes to look at me. "Just like how I can't get hard for anyone else, it's physically impossible for you to get wet for anyone else. You are only sexually compatible with me and I you."

I beamed at the revelation. "So that means we'll have wild sex all the time?"

Derek rolled his eyes at my typical-teenage response. Well,  _duh_. I was sixteen years old with raging hormones! Of  _course_  I was going to focus on the sex part. Guys weren't the only sex that were horny. I mean, have you  _seen_  Derek?

"Do I dare ask what else you've learned?" Derek asked, propping up on his elbows.

Seeing it as the perfect opportunity, I stood up. Derek quirked an eyebrow and I peeled away the faux fur gently, making sure it brushed against my arms completely as I did so.

His eyes widened when he realized what I was doing and sat up straighter. I could see his semi-flaccid cock twitching and I knew it wouldn't be long. I took off my ears, knowing they were going to get in the way and threw them aside.

Grabbing the bottom of my short dress, I lifted it slowly, revealing my biker shorts. I peeled it up my body slowly, revealing the skin of my tone stomach as I pulled it over me. I tossed my dress aside before turning around, making sure my back was to him.

I bent down, peeling off my biker shorts to reveal my deep blue lace panties, which matched my own lace, strapless bra. Derek groaned softly and I kicked off my pants before turning back to him.

His eyes took in my body, undoubtedly zooming in on the dark patch of liquid that had spilled from me in-between my legs. I reached behind me, unhooking my bra. My breasts popped out immediately, and Derek's eyes moved up to look at their round, perky shape.

I bit my lower lip and threw my bra aside. I approached Derek, who was sitting up straight by now. I sat down on his lap, placing my hands on his broad shoulders. He moved to hold my hips, but I  _tsk_ ed playfully, smacking them away.

"No touching the stripper," I said teasingly into his ear, nibbling on the corner of his earlobe. He growled softly but obeyed.

I ground my hips against his, and my moan mixed with his as I felt his erection rubbing against the wet spot of my panties, creating the most delicious friction.

"You forgot one more piece of clothing," Derek said, his voice several octaves lower than his usual.

I grinned at him before climbing off of his lap. I turned around, looking at him over my shoulder. I bent forward, wiggling my butt at his face before I pulled down my panties. A shiver of desire surged through me as I was expose to the cool air around us, and I could feel a trail of my arousal sticking to my panties as the scent permeated into the air.

I heard Derek inhale sharply, and I let out a bark of surprise when his hands suddenly grabbed at my hips. My panties fell to the ground as I dropped them around my ankles, almost tripping over them as my mate pulled me roughly to him.

I barely had time to register his hot breath at my entrance before I moaned loudly, the sound echoing through the trees as his tongue darted out, flattening against my overly wet slit.

Suddenly, sense snapped back into me and I whirled around. I pushed Derek back, taking him by surprise as I straddled his hips.

" _I'm_  in charge here," I snarled, exerting my dominance. "You don't do anything until I tell you to, got it?"

Derek's eyes flashed blue.

"I asked,  _got it_?" I snarled, my Alpha voice seeping out.

Derek's eyes glowed a bright blue before I nodded. "Got it."

I leaned back, satisfied, and Derek's eyes went back to pale green. I grabbed at his erect dick and rested on my knees. He moaned lowly under his breath as I took his cock, trailing the tip against my wetness, lubricating it. I dipped it in gently and moaned softly before pulling it out.

He whimpered.

He  _actually_  whimpered.

A devilish smirk grew onto my face. Now I see why he teased me so much. I smacked his cock against my erect little clit a couple times and our moans mixed together.

"You want me, Derek?" I cooed softly, looking at his face. His eyes were trained to where my hand moved, teasing him against my entrance. "Tell me how much you want me."

"More than anything," he whispered out, his voice husky. I dipped his tip in and he shuddered before I pulled him back again. "Sindy…"

I leaned forward, teasing him at my entrance as I moved to whisper into his ear, "Beg for it, my little Beta. Beg for your Alpha to fuck you."

His eyes flashed a dangerous blue once again and he growled softly. "Please fuck your Beta," he said, his voice mixing in with his inner wolf's. "Please fuck me well."

"Since you asked so nicely," I teased, before suddenly slamming down on him. I gasped sharply as he moaned beneath me, his cock filling me to the hilt as my warm walls surrounded him. " _Ooh_ ," I hummed in pleasure. "My  _big_  Beta…" He was so large inside of me, fitting inside me perfectly as his cock was squeezed by my walls.

" _Fuck_ , so tight," he whispered.

"That's right, just for you," I purred, before moving above him. I bounced a couple of times on him, before pushing him down.

He lied down on the ground before me, his legs spread for me. I continued to move above him, moving at a perfectly hard and fast rhythm.

" _Yes_!" I cried out, throwing my head back. "You feel so good inside of me!" My only response was a series of grunt as I thoroughly fucked my submissive mate. "Such a good little Beta. And all mine…"

"Yours…" Derek grunted out, letting me move above him. "All yours, Sindy."

I could feel the coil in my stomach begin to build, and I worked harder. I clenched my teeth and my claws dug into Derek's shoulders, causing him to hiss out in pain.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" I chanted, bouncing up and down on him, my clit hitting his rough patch of hair every time. My hips moved on their own accord as I fucked my mate, taking him. "Oh God!" I cried out, voice high-pitched. "I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna cum!" I screamed before I pushed down one last time.

My cry echoed through the forest as I met my climax, and I threw my head back as the euphoric pleasure seeped through my pores as I moved above him slowly, working through my orgasm.

I got up on shaky knees, my panting coming out in shivers as the aftershocks still flowed through me. "Fuck me from beneath, Derek," I ordered.

Without another word, Derek's large hands flew to my hips, and I covered my body with his as he began to thrust his hips. I let out a series of moans as he moved beneath me. I leaned down, kissing his lips before pulling back, a trail of saliva connecting our lips together.

"You feel so good," Derek grunted. "So wet, and tight, and hot."

I nodded mutely, feeling my breasts sway between us with each movement Derek made.

"You're so sexy," he moaned, feeling up my sides. He grabbed my breasts and squeezed them before his arms snaked around me, his hands moving over my back. I yelped when he slapped my left buttock, but then moaned as I felt the slight after-sting. "You like being spanked, don't you? I almost forgot. We should have you be a bad girl someday, hm?"

That sent a wave of arousal through me, and I moaned in response.

"Who would've thought sweet, innocent, little Sindy was so kinky? A dominatrix, a Little Red, and soon a  _bad. Girl_." His thrusts became rough as he punctuated the last words.

"I've been a really bad girl," I purred seductively, before Derek captured my lips with his, thrusts becoming more and more erratic with my movements. I moaned at the change of pace, and felt the coil in my stomach begin to form again.

It wound tighter and tighter, before I exploded over him once again. This time, Derek didn't take the slow way like I did. Oh, no. He moved faster and faster, and my eyes widened as another orgasm slipped through me.

A choked gasp and cry slipped from my lips, coming out as a squeak as my liquids splashed around us. He continued to move inside of me, my arousal making soft, squelching noises that complimented my moans.

Tears formed in my eyes as I squeezed my eyes shut, and Derek pulsed inside of me. Oh God. Oh God. I wasn't even aware I was screaming until my next orgasm came, followed by Derek's roar as he pulsed and emptied himself into me.

I was instantly warm from the inside and I shivered as Derek thrust weakly inside of me, instinctively pushing all he had inside of me. I could feel his knot stretch and form, locking us together.

I collapsed on Derek's chest, completely exhausted. Jesus, my mate was a wonderful lover. Derek sat up gently, and he bent down, capturing a rounded bud in his mouth. He sucked on my breast gently, just like a newborn.

Laughing softly and weakly at the image that formed into my mind, I shared it, "You're gonna have to learn to share when our pups come. Though, I doubt you'd like to have their food."

"You never know," Derek responded, nuzzling in-between the valley of my breasts. "I might have a sudden craving for milk."

"You'll have to share."

"Don't worry, I will."

It was sunset by the time Derek loosened inside of me. He pulled himself out of me and I grabbed a napkin, wiping myself before we put on our clothes, exchanging soft kisses in the mix.

"C'mon," I said, taking his hand after we gathered everything. "Let's go buy some Halloween candy."

By the time Derek and I finished going to the store and all, night had already fallen. He and I were almost back to the loft, parking in the back. I moved to gather the picnic basket, when I suddenly heard something.

I paused, and whirled around with Derek.

Three little kids, all about eight or nine, stood in front of us with pillowcases. "Trick or treat!" they exclaimed.

I watched as Derek reached inside the window, slowly grabbing the bag of candy. He popped a bag of M&Ms into each of the kids' pillowcases, before they had a small, silent exchange.

Why wouldn't they leave?

I sensed something in Derek and moved to say, "Derek, no…"

But I was too late.

All of a sudden, Derek's eyes glowed a bright electric blue and he let out a sharp roar. That scared the kids and they ran off, screaming.

He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face and I rolled my eyes at my mate's display of being the head male. "You better not do that to our kids," I responded, when a shiver went down my spine, and not the good kind.

I whirled around just as we were surrounded by five black figures with glowing yellow-green eyes that appeared from out of nowhere.

Before either of us could even react, one grabbed me by the back of my neck, making me look into its eyes.

And then all went black.

**TUESDAY  
** **OCTOBER 31, 2011**

It was cold. It was so cold.

I shivered involuntarily, trying to keep as warm as I could.

 _Transform_ , I heard myself think.  _Transform._

I pushed myself off the ground, getting on all fours. I loomed over my mate, who was slowly waking up as well. I growled softly, feeling my claws elongate, tapping against the tar of the street.

As I transformed, I felt myself get warmer and warmer as my white fur covered my body. Derek got onto his knees and I looked at him with my bright red eyes, crouching over him.

I moved my head to the skies and howled, the sound echoing. Derek's eyes flashed a dangerous electric blue, and his own howl joined my own, the deep, rough voice mixing with my higher-pitched one, entangling in the night sky.

Now that I was warm, I drooped my tail slightly, relaxing my stiff body, but I was still cautious of any source of threat. Derek stood up and I let out a small growl of contentment, glad my mate was safe. I circled him, brushing my side against his body.

Derek placed a hand over me, running his hand over my head and back, causing me to move into his touch. "I'm fine," he said, confirming my concerns. I whined softly, looking up at him. "Are you okay?"

I let out a sharp growl.  _Of course I was._

"Let's go inside," Derek advised, looking up at the sky. I followed his gaze to see the windows to his loft were strangely bright. I could hear some light thumps of heavy bass as well.

I snorted.  _Someone threw a party. Derek is_ not _gonna be happy._

I transformed back, standing on my feet. Derek's eyes immediately dropped down to look at me and I shook my head, feeling my hair brush against my back. I pushed a white lock out of my face before going, "Eyes up here, Derek." I pointed at my caramel orbs.

"I know where your eyes are, Sindy," Derek replied, not moving his gaze. His eyes then trailed up my body and he advised, "Put on some clothes."

A rumble purred in my chest at the command and I giggled softly. I leaned up, kissing his scruffy cheek before bending to pick up my costume, which lied crumpled on the ground. I heard his sharp intake of breath and Derek turned around to give my privacy. Or maybe to control himself. We didn't have the time for that.

"Okay," I announced, once I was done. I brushed off the remaining dirt off of my clothes. "C'mon, let's go bust the kids."

We walked upstairs to the loft, the music growing louder and louder. By the time we slid the door open, the music was already pulsing through our bodies, and I resisted the urge to just take Derek and reenact  _Dirty Dancing_.

Derek growled lowly. "You find Isaac. I'll take care of the DJ," he said dangerously.  _Ooh, was our_ real _little Beta in trouble._

It didn't take me long to sniff out Isaac, even with the stench of sweaty bodies and alcohol. I grabbed him by the shoulder, and he whirled around, looking at me with wide blue eyes. Beneath his shirt, there was some paint that trailed up his neck. He was helping Allison support Ethan, who looked slightly disoriented.

"Sindy!" he exclaimed in shock, with Allison looking at me with wide eyes, supporting Ethan's weak body. "Wh – What are you doing here? I thought you were out with Derek."

"You are in  _so_  much trouble, mister," I said, poking his chest.

He blinked. "Never thought I'd hear that," he admitted, before sobering. "The twins threw it. They somehow got the keys to here. Oh crap – where's Derek?"

Just then, there was a loud crash and all of us turned in the direction. Derek was standing near the stage the DJ had set up, all eyes on him.

" _GET OUT_!" he roared, his voice echoing off the walls in a threatening manner. There was a beat of silence before everyone started dashing out of the place, except for the werewolves, Kira, Allison, and Lydia.

I looked at Isaac before feeling a chill crawl up my spine. As the last of the humans left the loft, the dark masked figures from before materialized, all turning in unison.

"Guys," Aiden said, slightly nervously. "They're all looking at me." All of them stepped forward once. "Why are they all looking at me?" I could hear his heart beating rapidly – nervous. " _Guys_?"

I slid my eyes over to Derek's. Then to Scott's.

I nodded softly and charged forward just as the other two did as well. I jumped in the air, transforming as I did so.

Crouching lowly, I snarled, bearing my canines at the creatures before me. I maneuvered around its feet before roaring. I stared down at one, my red eyes glowing before I charged at it.

I tackled it down before snarling, biting down on its chest, my teeth digging through something but then… I felt nothing.

What the…?

Before I was able to register what had happened, a pair of large feet hit my stomach and I let out a whine of pain as I soared through the air. A groan of pain escaped my lips as I hit the wall roughly, the wind knocked out of me.

I stood up on all fours just as I heard Allison call out, "Somebody do something!"

But it was too late.

Aiden collapsed to the ground before I was able to move. I stood at Scott's feet, bearing my fangs, just as the sun begin to slowly rise. I let out a warning snarl before the creatures suddenly disappeared.

I glanced around the room, unsure of what had just happened.

"What the hell were those things?" Scott asked.

I glanced around the loft, taking in everything and making sure everyone was okay. I saw Isaac glance at Allison and he provided, "Your dad's twenty-four hours are up."

Something brushed against my skin and I realized it was a sheet. I glanced up to see Derek standing beside me and I shifted back into my human form.

Kira looked slightly pale at the sight of me and I spared her a glance. "We should probably get Kira home." I glanced at the other Alpha in the room, quirking a brow. "Scott?"

"I can do it," Scott nodded, going over to Kira cautiously. He looked around and asked, "Where's Stiles?"

I furrowed my brows, scanning the room. My twin brother was missing, but I didn't feel like there was any distress from him.

"We need to figure out what those things were first," Derek interrupted as I tightened the cloth around me. He turned to Isaac. "You have a  _lot_  of explaining to do."

"Why do I feel like I'm in trouble with my parents?"

I gave him the sternest look I could muster even if I was naked in a room full of teenagers wrapped in a blanket. "You are."


	69. Insomnia

**WEDNESDAY  
** **NOVEMBER 1, 2011**

"Take a look at this," I said, holding up a book about Japanese mythology. I showed Derek the picture of the large, dark Oni that we had encountered the night before. "It says here that they're unstoppable and that no-man made weapon can stop them. They aren't good or evil. They're given a task and will let nothing stop them and will kill whoever gets in their way."

"Then why were they after us of all people?" Derek inquired, walking over to me. "It says here that they are summoned by someone. They don't just materialize out of nowhere with a task without someone."

I bit my lower lip. "Argent says they may be after him, but I don't think so."

Derek looked at me properly, eyes moving from the page to mine. "What makes you say that?"

I handed the book to Derek and replied, "Think about it: they just do the bidding of someone. If they were after Argent, they'd just go straight to him – why waste time tracking down us? It seems like they're… searching for something."

"I think you're onto something," Derek nodded. I beamed up at him, glad I was of use. I looked at him expectantly.

My expectation was fulfilled when Derek leaned down, giving me a deep kiss. My toes curled inside my boots I wore and I found my heart racing, even this definitely wasn't the first time I had kissed him.

We pulled away from each other and I looked up at Derek with half-lidded eyes. He took a look at me before saying, "You should get going to school. You and Scott have to talk to Stiles."

I still found it incredibly odd that Stiles was missing last night. He was never far from either Scott or me. Sure, Scott had Kira-ish now, and I had Derek, but there was always room for the three of us – especially since there weren't any secrets amongst us.

"I'll drive you," Derek offered, since I had rode in his car last night. I hadn't left at all. Scott went to take Kira home while the twins disappeared, and Allison and Isaac went home.

Fifteen minutes later, I found myself almost tackled by my brother in the hallways. "Sindy!" he cried out. "Where's Scott? I need to tell you guys something I found out last night!" It came out so fast that if I wasn't used to him already, I would've been greatly confused.

Scott joined us quickly and I was quickly recapped on the rave in Derek's loft last night. Stiles led us to one of the chemistry classrooms and Scott and I sped walk to keep up with my brother.

"- so then she starts talking about phosphors and the key having chemicals on it, right? And so that made me think of the chemistry closet and the act that someone had to let Barrow in."

I almost crashed into Stiles's back when he stopped abruptly. I looked at the blank chalkboard in front of me. I knew the message was here earlier – the one Barrow received, but Stiles looked utterly confused.

"It's gone," he muttered to himself. He turned around impulsively and began walking to the chemistry closet. "Okay, it doesn't matter, though. It doesn't matter. I've still got the key." He pulled out his keys and moved to unlock the chemistry closet, but then frowned, searching through the set. "… What the hell? I had it – I had it here. I had it here this morning, I swear to God, I had it this morning."

Scott and I shot each other looks of concerns. I could hear Stiles's elevated heart levels.

"The key you were talking about last night?"

"Yeah," Stiles nodded. "I showed it to you, right? Didn't I show it to you?"

"No," Scott shook his head. "You just told me about it. I never actually saw it."

Stiles looked around the room. His pulse was racing as his breath grew slightly unsteady. I shifted slightly, tense. Scott could feel my anxiety as well.

"I was here a couple of hours ago," he informed us, caramel eyes darting back and forth between Scott and I before walking to the board. "And the message left to Barrow spelling Kira's name was right there on the board in my handwriting and I had the key to the chemistry closet."

"So, you unlocked the chemistry closet to Barrow could hide in it from the cops and then you wrote him a message to kill Kira?" Scott asked.

"I know," Stiles said. "I know how it sounds, but…" He dug around in his back pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. "Look at this." He unfolded it, showing us. "This is the news report that came out about Barrow when they caught him, okay? About the shrapnel bomb that he used. See this? See what he did?" He pointed at the article. "He put nuts, bolts, and screwed. And then he hid the bomb and the detonator in a box that he wrapped as a birthday present. What does that sound like to you?"

"Coach," Scott said, looking at us. "The joke we played on Coach."

"That was  _my_  idea, you remember?" Stiles pushed. "That was my idea. That's no coincidence. It can't be."

I looked at Stiles while Scott tried to say that while he didn't think Stiles was wrong, there was no way Stiles was trying to kill people.

His skin was much paler than it usually was, and his eyes were red-rimmed, but not like he was crying, but from lack of sleep. There were dark circles in his eyes and it made me wonder when was the last time Stiles actually slept.

Guilt seeped through my pores as I thought about it. I hadn't slept at home since Derek was back. I only went home for a change of clothes and that was it. Maybe if I was around more, I would've been able to push Stiles to sleep more.

"Why don't you go home?" Scott suggested. "Take a sick day or something."

I stepped forward. "I'll take you home, c'mon, Stiles. I'll drive."

"That's a good idea," Scott nodded. He looked at me and gave me a look. I knew what it meant.  _Don't tell Stiles about last night._   _Not yet, anyway._  I nodded subtly. He had a lot on his shoulders right now.

I took Stiles's keys from his hands and we walked outside to his jeep. My eyes landed on Derek's, who was blending in the shadows of the trees that bordered the school. I knew he was here to watch over Scott and I.

I pulled out my phone, shooting Derek a quick text.

 **Sindy Stilinski:**  I'm driving Stiles home. He needs some rest. Call me if anything shows up.

I looked up to see Derek reaching into his pocket, pulling out his phone. His thumb tapped on the screen a couple of times before I felt my phone buzz. I looked down to read his reply.

 **Derek Hale:**  Stay safe.

I gave a small smile before climbing into Stiles's jeep, where my brother was already seated in the passenger seat. I started the car, moving the gear.

"Hey, Sindy?" Stiles asked quietly.

"Hm?" I inquired, driving out of the school, blending in with the parents that were leaving the campus.

"Can you take me to the hospital, instead? I'm – I'm not feeling well."

Concern filled me and I turned to look at Stiles. He wasn't meeting my gaze and I frowned softly. "I'm sorry I haven't been around," I apologized, stopping in front of a red light. "I should've been around more to get you to sleep. I didn't realize you were still having nightmares."

"It's not your fault, Sindy," Stiles breathed out, turning to look at me. "I just don't get what's happening to me. I – I can't sleep. I'm waking up in the middle of the night – sleepwalking. Really jittery – more than usual. Just a few panic attacks, too."

Now I felt like shit.

My shoulders sagged as I vaguely noticed the light had switched back to green. "I'm a terrible sister," I admitted to him. "You've always been there for me, but the second my boyfriend's back, I go and ditch you to spend time with him."

"Hey, hey," Stiles reached out, grabbing my wrist that was holding the stick. "I already said it wasn't your fault. Something's just off. Derek was MIA for a whole  _month_. That's enough to get you worrying and not wanting him out of your sight."

"That's still no excuse for ignoring  _you_ ," I shook my head, shifting the gear. "Stiles, you're the only constant in my life. We were together since our cells started developing. You've not only been there for me my whole life – you were there  _before_  it."

Stiles let out a small laugh. "You make it sound like I'm dying. I swear, Sindy. I'm just tired."

"I'm moving back home. I'm getting you to sleep more," I announced.

"I love you and all, Sindy, but you don't have to do that," Stiles refused. "It was nice to have the bed to myself even if I haven't been sleeping in it a lot lately. Now you go off and be happy with your werewolf boyfriend and I'll be okay. I promise, Sindy. You're overreacting."

I pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and turned off the engine, turning to Stiles. "Are you  _sure_?"

"Yeah," Stiles nodded. "You haven't had a single nightmare since Derek came back, right?" I nodded. "Let's keep it that way. Now, c'mon."

I looked at my older brother's figure. Why was it that even though  _I_  was able to lift two-hundred pounds and throw fully-grown men across the room, my brother still seemed like the stronger one? He took care of me when our mother died, and helped our father get sober.

He held me every night that I cried and yeah, he cried with me, but he was the one that wrapped his arms around me, saying that it was okay and that we'd get through it.

He held my body when I was bleeding out on the floor and was the one who pushed Derek to save me. I thought that once I became a werewolf, it was my turn to protect Stiles. But even now, even when he was the only human with only an aluminum bat to use as protection amongst a group of supernatural creatures, he was still the strongest in my eyes.

I stepped out of the car and walked up to Stiles, slipping my hand in his. He jumped at the contact but then looked down at me. I squeezed his larger hand. He smiled softly, squeezing it back, before we walked into the hospital.

Stiles released my hand as we approached Melissa, who was sitting at the desk. She blinked, seeing us. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Is a doctor around?" Stiles asked, leaning against the counter.

"Dr. Gardner's not back until next week," Melissa replied. "Do you want to try waiting for one of the urgent care doctors or…" she stopped, seeing Stiles was a bit off. "Stiles? Are you all right?"

"I don't know," Stiles replied honestly. I placed a hand on his back to steady him. He was swaying slightly on his feet. "I guess – I guess not really."

Melissa walked around the desk and looked up at Stiles. "All right, kiddo. All right. Come with me. It's okay." We walked Stiles to a patient room and I took off his jacket for him while Stiles sat himself on one of the hospital beds. Melissa pulled out a manila file and asked, "Mind telling me what's been going on?"

"Blackouts," Stiles listed first. "But not for that long. And sleepwalking, which I used to do a lot as a kid. Um… Also having some really bad anxiety."

"Panic attacks?"

"Yeah, a couple," Stiles confirmed. "Oh, and I temporarily lost the ability to read. But that might have more to do with this giant magic tree and the whole human sacrifice thing."

"I recall something vaguely about that, yes," Melissa nodded, turning to look at me with a small smile. The corner of my lips twitched but then she asked, "How many hours of sleep are you getting?"

"Eight."

"A night?"

"In the last three days," Stiles said, making my back tense as well as Melissa's. He counted on his fingers and I paid attention to his movements. "Yeah," he nodded. "Definitely eight."

"Been feeling irritable?" Melissa unlocked a cabinet, pulling out some gloves.

"Yeah," Stiles nodded again. "Possibly to the point of homicide."

"Inability to focus?"

"No," Stiles replied. "The Adderall's not working."

"Impulsive behavior?" She pulled out a syringe and a small bottle I recognized as a sedative, but what exactly, I wasn't so sure.

"More than my usual? Hard to tell."

"Vivid dreams during the day?"

"Okay, basically all of the above," Stiles answered. "Do you know what this is?"

"I think so," Melissa confirmed, walking over to Stiles with the needle.

"Uh, what's that?"

"Do you trust me?"

"When you're not holding a needle." I couldn't help but let out a small scoff at that.

"It's Midazolam," Melissa informed, cleaning his arm before injecting him with the needle. "A sedative."

"Why'd you give me a sedative?" Stiles asked.

"Because you, Stiles, are one  _profoundly_  sleep-deprived young man," Melissa replied. "You need rest and you need it now. Lie down." She fixed the bed for Stiles to sleep after throwing away the syringe and gloves.

"Okay, how long's it take to – Oh," a dazed look grew onto Stiles's face. "Not long at all."

I walked over to Stiles's bedside. I gave him a small hug, and he weakly returned it. He gave me a small kiss on the forehead as he held me gently. I pulled away softly and smiled down at him, kissing his own forehead. I pulled back, and my white locks brushed against his arms softly before I stood up fully.

"Get some rest," Melissa said softly.

Stiles began to doze off, but before he did, he muttered out, "Thanks, Mom. Love you, too, Sindy…" A small, almost inaudible slow breath escaped from Stiles's lips and I knew he had fallen asleep.

I looked up at Melissa and she turned off the lamp at Stiles's bedside. I walked outside quietly, and Melissa closed the door behind her.

"You know something," I said, looking at the woman. "I was able to feel your tension in that room."

She looked at me sympathetically and began to explain, "It's just a hunch, but…"

At her tense figure, I stood up straighter. "What's going on?"

She looked around and said, "Because you're family, I'm able to do this, but follow me." She walked me to the back room, where all the patients' medical files were kept, taking Stiles's with her.

She pulled out a thick file and then she pulled out one that I saw was labeled, "Stilinski, Claudia." I swallowed thickly, trying to remember what symptoms my mother had, but I was only eight.

But there was only one reason why Melissa would show me both Stiles's  _and_  my mother's files. I looked down, reading the symptoms.

"You think Stiles might have FTD?" I asked quietly, my voice shaking to reveal my fear. There's no way that Stiles had it. There's  _no way_. He can't. Not my brother.

"It's possible," Melissa replied sadly. "I'm sorry, Sindy."

A choked gasp escaped from my lips and she threw her arms around me. I hugged her tightly, careful not to crush her as I sobbed into her shoulder, causing her clothes to darken slightly.

I had already lost my mother. I can't lose my brother, too. He was everything to me.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled back from Melissa. I apologized softly and she nodded quietly, giving me one last hug before leaving, letting me answer my call.

"Hello?" I asked, before clearing my voice.

" _You okay?"_  Derek's concerned voice filled my ears.  _"For one, I called you because the sun's setting and I want you close to me. Second, there was a… change. We're connected, Sindy, remember that."_

"I'm – I'm fine," I replied, wiping the last of my tears away. "I'll tell you later – I promise. Right now, we have to worry about the Oni, right? Where are you?"

There was silence on Derek's end, and I knew he was contemplating dropping the subject or not.  _"I'm at Scott's,"_  he replied eventually.

I nodded, even though Derek couldn't see and left the file room, making a beeline to Stiles's jeep.

It didn't take me long to arrive in front of Scott's house. The sun had already set by then, and I left Stiles's jeep to slide into Derek's car.

"Scott's parents are both here," Derek informed me as soon as I slid inside. Before I could say anything else, I heard a sharp scream.

"Time to go," I said, leaving out of the door I had yet to close. I transformed quickly, keeping my humanoid form as I darted inside the house with Derek.

My eyes burned as I let out a roar, going to fight off one of the Oni. "Mom, the ash!" Scott called.

I snarled as I pushed the Oni out of my way, dodging his swinging sword. I picked up the black creature, and pushed with all my might, causing it to fall out of the window.

"Mom, now! Do it now!" Scott ordered, just as Derek shoved the last one out of the house through the front door.

Melissa ran forward, throwing the bottle of mountain ash on the ground. I let out a sigh, loosening up my transformation as I stood up straight. I glanced around, seeing the slightly-destroyed house.

I glanced at Derek and then asked, "How come you're always the cleanest when we fight?"

"Practice," Derek replied simply. He hadn't knocked over any furniture or shattered any windows – unlike the rest of us. I looked out the broken window, seeing the Oni standing there ominously.

We walked further into the room, checking to see everything was secure. Scott jogged up to us, looking at us slightly confused.

"All of the baseboards are ash wood?" Derek asked, pointing to the floorboards. I blinked, not realizing that was what Scott had done.

"Uh, yeah," Scott nodded. "It was Deaton's idea." He turned abruptly to Derek. "And where the hell did you come from?"

"I've been following you," Derek said pointedly.

Scott looked at me, bewildered. "For how long?"

"All day," Derek and I replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

I rolled my eyes and said, "You should know by now that Derek has stalker-like tendencies."

Before Scott could comment, I heard Melissa call, "Scott, this isn't good!" Scott spared us a glance before darting off to help his mother with his father.

Derek arched a brow. "Stalker-like tendencies?" he echoed.

I gave him a small smile. "You can't honestly forget that just nine months ago, you were following Scott and us around, can you?"

"That's because Scott was bitten – and I had to keep from him losing control."

I nodded, accepting his answer. "But what does following  _me_  have anything to do with Scott?"

Derek eyed me, like he knew he had fallen into a trap. "I had to make sure you didn't tell anyone."

I couldn't stop the wide grin that appeared on my face. "You  _liked_  me, didn't you?" I teased. I swayed from side to side, looking up at Derek innocently.

He rolled his eyes.

"So, what are you?" I heard Aiden demand from the back doorway. He was standing near the entrance with his brother and Kira.

Derek turned to the three, grabbed my hand, and walked towards them, answering, "She's a kitsune, idiot. Use your eyes. You can see it all around her. The younger ones give off an aura. She just hasn't learned how to conceal it yet. She probably doesn't know what kind she is, either."

Like Derek said, I looked at Kira, more properly this time. I blinked a couple of times, before I felt my Alpha eyes activate. My eyebrows rose in astonishment as I saw this ray-like substance coming from Kira for all sides, surrounding her with this yellow-orange light.

I turned to Derek and asked, "How many different kinds of kitsune are there?"

"Thirteen, totals," Derek explained just as Scott joined us. "Celestial, wild, ocean, and thunder are to name a few. Twelve of them are the same, but there is one that's different from the rest."

I blinked softly, cocking my head to the side. Derek's eyes softened slightly before pushing some of my messy dual-colored locks that had flipped due to my fight back into place.

"It's called the Void. It's the dark kitsune – the Nogitsune," Derek responded, turning to the other three in the room. "And I'm willing to bet that's what those guys are looking for, but hurting Kira isn't going to accomplish anything."

Scott took Kira aside, most likely to calm her nerves, since Ethan and Aiden were still a bit on the can-I-trust-them side. He trusted Derek and I, but not the twins.

"I wasn't going to hurt her," Aiden protested once Scott and Kira left.

"Not yet," Derek provided, looking down at me.

"Why do you think we're here, Derek?" Aiden questioned. "For a study group? We're here to protect Scott, just like you're here to protect both Scott and Sindy."

"We're trying to fight for him  _and_  her," Ethan added.

"I'm sure you are," Derek said, turning his attention to the twins. "I'm sure you'd kill for them. But are you willing to  _die_  for them?"

Their silence was our answer.

The house suddenly shook and I almost snapped my neck to look at the door. The Oni were pounding against the mountain ash barrier, probing it.

Scott came rushing back. "What are they doing?" he demanded as the house shook more and more.

"Testing for weaknesses," Ethan replied. He spoke up again, making me turn to him. "Guys?" I glanced at the Oni, who was pushing through the barrier slowly, just like the way Scott did with Jennifer a month ago. "We have a problem."

Scott whipped out his phone, thumb tapping across his screen. "Allison,  _please_  tell me that you have something. They're here. They're trying to get in. And it looks like they're gonna be able to do it."

" _Okay,"_  I heard Allison say from her end. I looked at the open hole at the doorway wearily.  _"Okay, listen. They're Japanese demons. They're called the Oni. They're looking for someone possessed – someone with a dark spirit attached to them."_

Scott's eyes flew to mine and he voiced what I was thinking, "A Nogitsune."

" _How'd you know that?"_

"Just – tell me what else."

" _Okay,"_  I could hear Allison's mostly-calm voice say.  _"They won't hurt you. They know you're supernatural, but once they do this check, once they realize that you're not carrying with you this dark spirit, then they won't hurt you, I promise. All they're looking for is the Nogitsune."_

With that, Allison hung up and my eyes fell on Kira, who looked at Scott nervously.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Kira asked, focused on Scott. "They're looking for me."

"They're looking for a dark spirit," Scott amended. "And I know it's not you."

"Scott, we're gonna have to do something," Derek spoke just as the Oni broke through the barrier.

They marched in complete unison, stalking towards us slowly, ominously.

I felt eyes on me, so I turned slowly. Scott was looking at me slowly. I unconsciously touched the mark behind my ear from the Oni.

"Don't do anything," he spoke.

Aiden blinked in disbelief. "Is he serious?"

"Just listen," I ordered.

"I said don't do anything," Scott repeated. He reached out and I watched as his hand connected with Kira's. "Trust me." The Oni walked closer and closer and I did my best to relax, but this was  _Scott_ , here.

The Oni grabbed a hold of both Scott and Kira, making them look into their eyes. The demons' eyes glowed for a second before they suddenly released Scott and Kira, causing them to fall to the ground. "You're gonna be okay…" Scott muttered quietly from the ground.

Their connection didn't escape my notice as the Oni disappeared, and I rushed to Kira, who was shivering. "Oh, God," I groaned, knowing what I was going to have to do. I hated this part the most. "I'm sorry, Kira," I apologized, before balling my hand into a fist. I launched it forward and she gasped sharply as my fist made contact with her gut.

She coughed, gasping for air and cried out, "What was that for?"

"Triggered the healing process," I replied, helping her up. I could hear the ambulance outside get closer and closer and knew it was time to head to the hospital. I needed to find my brother.

Twenty minutes later, I stormed through the double doors behind Melissa, who was with Agent McCall on a stretcher. She shouted out his vitals before Scott looked at Melissa, informing, "We'll find Stiles."

I nodded and took a whiff of the air, ignoring the mingling scents of death, blood, and weakness. Scott and I moved down the hallways and pushed open another pair of double doors to find Stiles standing strangely in the middle of an empty room.

"Stiles? You okay?" Scott called.

That seemed to snap my brother out of whatever daze he was in and he turned around. "Yeah, fine," he replied, looking better rested than before. "What's been going on?"

I groaned softly, going over to my brother. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he returned it gently. " _So_  much," I complained, before the three of us left the room.

 **THURSDAY  
** **NOVEMBER 2, 2011**

I lied in the silence, basking quietly. After making sure Stiles was safe, I went back to the loft with Derek, where we had a short, but passionate, round of love-making. He was lying behind me, spooning me, with his chest to my back and a strong arm surrounding my small body.

"You should be sleeping," Derek said, his vibrations causing shivers to run down my spine deliciously. His large hand sensually stroked my naked arm, before trailing down to wrap around my stomach. "You need rest."

I should be tired. I hadn't slept in the past thirty hours or so. But I just couldn't.

I turned around, and Derek loosened his grip on me so I could turn fully. I faced him and he was lying on his side, pale green eyes open and looking patiently at me.

"Why aren't you asleep?" I asked instead.

He gave a small smile and leaned forward, brushing his lips against my forehead. "I never fall asleep before you."

I smiled softly, leaning up to kiss him. Just before my lips touched his, though, my phone suddenly lit up and vibrated from its place on the nightstand.

I furrowed my brows, knowing it was late at night. Who would be calling me unless it was an emergency? I turned away from Derek, reaching for my phone. I unhooked it from its charger and saw that it was Stiles calling.

A deep frown settled onto my face as I picked up, holding it to my ear curiously. "Stiles?"

" _S – Sindy…"_  Stiles's choked voice gasped out.


	70. Lost

**THURSDAY  
** **NOVEMBER 2, 2011**

"Why aren't you asleep?" I asked, peering up at Derek.

He gave a small smile and leaned forward, brushing his lips against my forehead. "I never fall asleep before you."

I smiled softly, leaning up to kiss him. Just before my lips touched his, though, my phone suddenly lit up and vibrated from its place on the nightstand.

I furrowed my brows, knowing it was late at night. Who would be calling me unless it was an emergency? I turned away from Derek, reaching for my phone. I unhooked it from its charger and saw that it was Stiles calling.

A deep frown settled onto my face as I picked up, holding it to my ear curiously. "Stiles?"

" _S – Sindy…"_  Stiles's choked voice gasped out.

I sat up abruptly, barely remembering to keep the sheet pressed against my chest. "Stiles?" I repeated, more alarmed this time. Derek sat up as well, wrapping an arm around me to keep me from practically hyperventilating.

There was a click on the other end and then I heard Scott's voice ask,  _"Hey, man, what's up?"_

"Scott?" I inquired.

" _Sindy?"_  Scott asked.  _"Stiles?"_

Stiles's breathing got really heavy, and I tensed.

" _Stiles?"_  Scott asked nervously.  _"You there?"_

" _I – I'm here,"_  Stiles whispered nervously.

I furrowed my brows. "Stiles, are you okay? You're scaring me." I was sure my heartbeat was beating a bit more rapidly than it usually did.

" _I don't know where I am,"_  my brother whispered, almost on the brink of crying.  _"I don't know how I got here. I think I was sleepwalking."_

" _Okay, um, can you see anything?"_  Scott asked, just as some pieces of fabric landed in front of me at the foot of the bed. I glanced down to see it was some underwear, a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and Derek's leather jacket.

I glanced up, looking at my mate gratefully. He was throwing on his own jacket before meeting my eyes.

" _It's dark,"_  Stiles said.  _"It's hard to see. I think there's something wrong with my–"_

My eyes widened as I heard a small  _click_  and I cried out, "Stiles?!"

" _Stiles!"_  Scott called, just as panicked.  _"Oh, God, Sindy. What do we do?"_

"You try calling him, okay? I – I'm gonna get dressed and Derek and I are going to head out. We're gonna try to find Stiles."

" _O – Okay,"_  Scott replied before I hung up. I threw the sheet off of me, and quickly got dressed.

Without even waiting for Derek, I ran down the stairs connected to the loft, barely remembering to grab my car keys on the way out. Judging by the rapid footsteps behind me, Derek was right at my heels.

My phone rang just as I was starting my engine and I answered it quickly, placing it to my ear, seeing it was from Scott. "Where is he?"

" _I – I- I don't know. Sindy, he's bleeding. He's in some sort of industrial basement. I also promised to not call your dad. Isaac and I are on our way to your house – to catch a better scent. He also thinks someone's in there with him."_

It was a good thing I wasn't driving yet, because I was sure I was going to swerve off road if I was. I shook quietly in my seat, thinking of the worst-case scenarios.

Did someone kidnap my brother?

Who was doing it?

I vaguely felt Derek pull the phone out of my shaky grip and he talked to Scott, "We already have a good lock on Stiles's scent. We'll search first." Without even waiting for a reply, Derek hung up.

"Oh, God," I breathed out, leaning against my steering wheel. "Oh, God. Derek." My bottom lip quivered as I turned to my mate. "My brother's missing."

Derek reached forward, taking my sweaty hands in his warm, larger ones. "Sindy," he said softly. I shook my head. "Sindy. Sindy, look at me. Look at me." I shook my head again. "Sindy," his voice dropped in a softer tone. "My mate, look at me."

I shakily turned to Derek, taking in his blurred vision. I blinked and I felt the tears drip down my cheeks, which were then quickly wiped away by the pads of Derek's thumbs. He cradled my face gently.

"We'll find him," Derek said in an almost-cooing voice. "There's no way we can't. We'll find him."

"It's supposed to be the coldest night of the year tonight," I breathed out. "Oh, God. Derek. My brother is out there in nothing but pajama pants and a t-shirt. If whatever's in that room with him doesn't kill him, the weather will."

Why could I protect my brother? Just for  _once_ , why can't  _I_  protect him?! I know he's older and automatically the "protector" but  _I_ was there werewolf here.  _I_  was the physically stronger one.  _I_  was the faster one.  _I_  was the Alpha Female.

And the Alpha Female was supposed to protect.

Some great job I was doing.

"Sindy," Derek called for me again, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Self-hatred isn't going to find your brother any time soon. You're in no condition to drive, so let me. We'll switch really fast and I'll roll down the windows. We'll find him by scent – it's the surest way. Okay?"

I moved to unbuckle my seatbelt, pressing down on the red eject button quickly. I almost tripped leaving the car and circled around to the passenger side easily. The hardest part was buckling up again.

It took a whole five seconds before I could buckle in properly. True to Derek's word, he started the engine, rolled down the windows, and took off.

I sniffed the air as he drove, tracking down the scent that was the second-strongest to me. Derek's scent was the strongest. With us being spiritually connected and mates, I was in tuned with his very being. However, Stiles was a scent that I knew like the back of my hand because he was the one who I spent the most time with outside of Derek.

My thoughts were also cleared by the fresh air, and I inhaled sharply. A tangy, citrus-scent sprinkled with black peppers filled my nostrils. My eyes snapped open, recognizing the direction the scent was coming from.

"The hospital," I reported, turning to my mate. I bit my lower lip in anticipation, before I held on to the door tightly.

Derek nodded, and thankfully, the roads were completely empty as Derek slid through two lanes before making a sharp right in the direction Beacon Hills Hospital.

I darted out of the car before Derek even fully came to a stop and I ran into the hospital. I ran to the front desk, slamming my hands on it, making Melissa jump.

"Sindy, it's two o'clock!" she scolded, holding her hand in front of her furiously beating heart. It made sense, considering I had just run up and scare the living crap out of her.

"Where's Stiles?!" I demanded quickly, wasting no time. Her heart was still beating frantically. "Have you seen him?"

"N – No," Melissa shook her head, her heartbeat dramatically calming down. "The last time I saw him was when he went home with all of you kids. Why? What's wrong?"

The sounds of sirens echoed and I shook my head, clearing it. That wasn't the answer I wanted. I took off, darting further into the hospital, tracking him wherever his scent was the strongest.

I threw open the door to the room he was in earlier, but nothing. Rapid footsteps followed after me, keeping up with me easily. "Sindy, Sindy, you need to calm down," Derek advised from behind me. I ran up the emergency stairway, following Stiles's citrus-y scent. It was getting stronger as I moved, but still nothing.

"I can't!" I cried, blood pounding. "I have to find Stiles!"

"You can't find him without a calm head!" Derek snapped, and suddenly, I found myself pinned to the wall.

I snarled at Derek, feeling my canines elongate as well as my eyes flash sunset orange. "Let go of me, Derek."

"Not until you're calm," Derek shook his head. "Sindy, you have to trust me. Going in this without a level head will only result in worse consequences. What if Stiles really did get kidnapped? Huh? With the way you're slamming down everything in your path, you'll only alert the kidnapper and have Stiles  _dead_. I need you to calm. Down."

My bottom lip quivered throughout Derek's mini-speech. He was right, but I couldn't. I had no idea where my brother was. I should've stayed with him tonight. He insisted I go back with Derek, but I should've pushed harder to stay with him.

"I can't lose him, Derek," I voiced. It was one of my greatest fears. Losing my brother would kill me.

"Shh…" Derek shushed softly, moving his grip to pull me to his strong chest. He ran his hand through my hair, stroking my back softly as I sobbed into his chest. "I know, Sindy. I know. I need you to stay strong. Not just for yourself, but also for Stiles, okay? He's scared right now, but he's waiting for you to save him. Can you do that for him?"

"Anything," I whimpered softly, my voice slightly muffled. "Anything for him."

"All right," Derek nodded, before pulling me back. He pushed my dual-colored hair out of the way so it was behind my ear. "Let's go onto the roof. His scent is the strongest up there."

I nodded and the two of us jogged up the steps, heading to the roof. Derek threw the door open and he looked around. "You feel that, Sindy?"

I focused on the environment around me, doing my best to push away my nerves. I had to stay calm for Stiles. Rushing wouldn't help anybody.  _For Stiles,_  I thought, closing my eyes.

It was then I felt it. Anxiety. Fear. A struggle.

I snapped my eyes open, turning to look at Derek.

Two pairs of footsteps came running onto the rooftop, and the scents – lemongrass and cinnamon spice – filled me. Isaac and Scott respectively.

"He's not here," Derek announced to the two. "Not anymore."

"You mean the whole building?" Scott asked, eyes, concerned, at me. His nose twitched, and I knew he could smell the salt that came from my tears earlier.

"Gone," Derek shook his head.

"I'll go tell Stilinski," Isaac said, walking over to me. He gave me a short hug and I returned it, grateful for the embrace.

"And see if you can find Allison," Scott said, just as Isaac began to walk away. "She's not answering her phone." Once Isaac was gone, Scott approached me. "Hey," he said gently.

I walked over to him, hugging him. He inhaled sharply and returned the action. "You okay?" he asked as he swayed us gently.

"I'll be okay once we find my –  _our_  – brother," I said, pulling away from him.

Scott nodded in agreement and we both joined Derek, who was waiting patiently for us. Once our attention was on him, he addressed Scott, "Notice how strong the scent is up here? You ever hear of chemo signals?" At Scott's blank look, Derek continued. "Chemical signals that communicate emotion. And just our sweat can give off anger, fear, or disgust. Take a deep breath and tell me what you feel."

Scott closed his eyes, focusing just like I did earlier. He then opened his eyes and reported, "Stress."

"And anxiety," Derek added.

But it begged the question:  _what was he doing?_  Scott had agreed with my inner voice, and asked the question out loud.

"I don't know," Derek admitted. "But there was definitely some kind of struggle."

"With who?"

I exchanged a look with Derek before we both replied, "Himself."

Scott looked at us with an unreadable expression before he said, "We should split up – it'll cover more ground."

I nodded in agreement. "I'll go with Derek to the school, just in case. You stick with Dad for me?" I already knew from the sirens that Dad was using his power as the sheriff to get all the manpower he could to find Stiles.

Scott nodded in agreement and the three of us left the rooftop. I ran into my dad on the way out and he gave me a crushing hug.

"You stay safe, all right?" he looked at me. Then he looked at Derek and said, "Keep my baby girl safe."

Derek nodded, taking my hand gently into his. "I always will," he promised, before we left the hospital, heading to the school.

He and I searched the school, the boiler room, and wherever else he could be. I threw open the God-knows-how-many-th door, when my phone rang.

**DEREK HALE**

I watched as Sindy dug into her pocket, fishing out her phone. She held it to her ear. "Hello?"

" _We found him, we found him,"_  Melissa's voice came from Sindy's phone.  _"Scott's father and I are bringing him to the hospital."_

"Oh, God…" Sindy breathed out, and I could feel her erratic heartrate slowing down into a calmer, softer rate. Her legs started to shake and I darted forward, catching her just before she collapsed. "Oh, thank God. Thank you, Melissa."

" _It's no problem,"_  Melissa replied, before there was a dial tone.

Sindy clung to me, still not fully standing. "They found him…" she whispered in relief. "They found him."

I nodded, lifting her in my arms easily. She nuzzled into my hold, and I felt her tense body relax for the first time in hours. I shifted her, picking her up easily and walking out of the school.

We drove to the hospital and Sindy immediately ran to Scott, hugging him tightly. They both ran inside the hospital, while I worked on jump-starting Stiles's jeep.

"So, you think he was just sleep-walking?" Ethan asked from the side. "Or is there something more to it?"

I glanced at him briefly before looking down the hood of Stiles's car. "In this town, there's always something more."

"What if I told you that I know something more?" Ethan asked. "I kind of overheard – well, I listened in on Stiles talking to Scott. He thinks he was the one who wrote that message in the chemistry room. The message telling Barrow to kill Kira."

Turning to Ethan, my eyes met his in disbelief. "You think Stiles," I started, "skinny, defenseless, Stiles is the Nogitsune? A powerful, dark spirit?"

"I'm not the only one thinking it," Ethan replied. "I'm just the only one saying it."

"This thing wants to possess someone and chooses Stiles?" I arched a brow. Why the  _hell_  would they choose Stiles? "Why wouldn't it take something bigger, stronger? Someone with a little more…" Then I realized something as I looked at the cables. "Power." I put the two cables together and the electricity ran through them.

_Shit._

I left Ethan, heading into the hospital to find Sindy. I ran into her, Scott, and Lydia in the hallway towards where Stiles's room was.

"He's asleep now," Sindy said quietly, walking over to me. "Doesn't remember a lot, though. It's – it's kind of fuzzy."

Her heart skipped a beat and I took her hand, glancing at Scott and Lydia. I gave them a small nod of acknowledgment before pulling Sindy away from them.

Sindy followed me silently out of the hospital, and when I was sure that we were alone, I turned around to look at her.

Her brown eyes were large and doe-like, filled with unshed tears. "I don't know what to do," she whispered out, her voice cracking at the end. "Stiles went missing and I couldn't find him."

I looked at my mate sympathetically, before walking over to her, closing the distance between us. I reached for her hands, and my eyes widened softly by how cold and shaky they were.

"He's fine now," I assured. She didn't respond, so I pulled her close to me. The second her head was buried in my chest, a choked sob escaped her lips, and I hushed her quietly, wrapping my arms around her. "He's fine now," I repeated.

Her shaky arms went to wrap around my body, and I made a vow that I would do everything in my power to keep her from getting hurt.

The Nogitsune was  _dead_.


End file.
